Inglewood will be home.
Steve Ballmer owns the Los Angeles Clippers. Steve Ballmer plans to build an arena-village for his National Basketball Association franchise. Steve Ballmer recently purchased the Inglewood arena known as the Forum from Madison Square Garden, New York Knicks and New York Rangers owner James Dolan so that Dolan would not block his bid to build a basketball arena in Inglewood. So why are people thinking Ballmer will move his Clippers from Los Angeles to Seattle? The question makes no sense except Ballmer worked for Microsoft which is in the Seattle area. Ballmer did a chat for clubhouse and said he is not moving his business to Seattle. But he quickly added that he would like to see the NBA put a franchise in Seattle. The city has not had an NBA team since 2008 as Clayton Bennett took his Seattle SuperSonics franchise to Oklahoma City after failing to get a new building in Seattle. At that time, Bennett’s team was housed in a building that was renovated 13 years earlier.
That old building was gutted and a new arena is being built underneath the structure’s old roof. It will be a 21st century state of the art sports facility but not for Ballmer. The Clippers owner did a Sgt. Schultz’s impersonation when asked about Seattle’s chances of getting an NBA team. “I know nothing, I see nothing. The commissioner talked about the fact that it’s an open consideration at some point to do expansion. If an expansion were to happen Seattle would be up at the top of the list. I certainly haven’t participated in any in-depth discussions at this point. I can’t tell you the timing, but I read the commissioner’s remarks at the same time the rest of you did.” The NBA might expand but nothing is imminent.
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