Intuit Dome’s grand opening showcases Steve Ballmer’s incredible vision
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Steve Ballmer’s voice and energy reverberated in the Intuit Dome Plaza on Thursday in celebration of his big night that came ten years after he became the owner of the Los Angeles Clippers.
The former Microsoft CEO is not only one of the richest men in the entire world, he’s also one of the most enthusiastic.
"This is the product where I had the most clear view of what we should do," Ballmer said in his speech in the moments ahead of the ribbon-cutting ceremony. As a successful businessman, he delivered on his promise to bring the franchise their own arena.
Despite putting his heart and soul into the Intuit Dome, Ballmer refused to make the night about himself. Instead, as the Southern California sun beamed down on him on a warm summer evening with planes flying overhead, he basked in pride and said the Intuit Dome was for the fans.
Thursday marked a new era for the Clippers and Inglewood. Not only did it mark the grand opening of the Intuit Dome, Ballmer revealed it was the day their lease was up at the Crypto.com Arena.
"We got our own arena now, so we can have our own fun in our new arena. We don’t have to share nothin’ no more," said LA Clippers' Derrick Jones Jr. on the red carpet later in the evening.
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"I’m a little anxious tonight. I love what we built, but I want all of you to love what we built," Ballmer said as he opened up his 15-minute speech.
He continued to thank those who were imperative in making his vision a reality, including Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts and Clippers Executive Gillian Zucker. "We also knew that our house had to be about more than just basketball. Our house was going to be about music and basketball and all the support and counsel."
"I think this is the best basketball facility ever built… I hope you agree," Ballmer said.
With SoFi Stadium nearby, Inglewood has gone through a renaissance. The Intuit Dome was buzzing not only to honor the grand opening of Ballmer’s love letter to Clipper Nation, but also, a Bruno Mars concert. "This is a place for spotlight, and it's a place for street lights," Ballmer said.
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Ballmer again emphasized "our house" and wanted to create a space where people felt comfortable and could get a sense of community.
"Doing this thing was not only an effort, not just a labor of love, but, you know, really, we hope you like the attention to detail, that we put in and what it translates into," Ballmer added.
The Clippers held a groundbreaking ceremony three years ago and it’s blossomed into a state-of-the-art facility as crews worked around the clock to meet the Aug. 15 deadline.
"I don't know that anybody will ever really realize how hard it is to pull something like this off, Ballmer explained. "I had a lot of involvement going 100 times plus what I had to do to really bring it together, to get things orchestrated, to see the details of the design and really make them sing."
One of those details was including basketball jerseys from high schools across California on the walls and making sure there were enough toilets, so fans wouldn’t have to wait in long lines and miss the action on the court or stage.
Of course, Ballmer concluded his speech shouting "Go Clips" in an endearing way only he could.
Before the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue was given the honor of christening the sailboat outside the Intuit Dome by breaking a bottle.
After that, the ribbon cutting occurred as blue and red confetti poured down in celebration of a long and rewarding journey.
While Ballmer hit some rough seas navigating the waters to get the Intuit Dome built exactly the way he envisioned, he hasn’t lost his spark or love for the game of basketball.