Staples Center has been an iconic name in the NBA ever since the arena opened in 1999.
The name itself is so powerful it makes people forget the arena is named after an office supply company.
But cash is king in professional sports and Staples has been beat out to retain naming rights on the building.
Crypto.com is paying a fortune to have its name on the arena, beginning Christmas Day.
The process to take down the iconic signage has already begun and the pictures are likely jarring for fans in Los Angeles.
Staples Center signage is officially down 😢
(via thealliebailey, thematthewmans/IG) pic.twitter.com/BldvqoI7gQ
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 7, 2021
It is bizarre to think that starting on Christmas, Staples Center will be no more.
The announcers will welcome fans to Crypto.com Arena in what will feel weird for NBA fans all around the world.
The Name Will Still Remain
Changing the name of a sports venue always involves fan backlash and this is no different.
Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers fans are not going to magically forget the name Staples Center.
Imagine if the Yankee Stadium added a sponsor to its name.
Would Yankees fans ever stop saying they are headed to “Yankee Stadium?”
Such a change is about money and won’t really enter the vernacular until younger fans hear the name without ever realizing it used to be called something else.
It will always be Staples center to me. The home Kobe built. #MambaForever pic.twitter.com/iHLdXW1ohd
— V💙 (@MsSportsFan24) December 6, 2021
Staples Center is the house that Kobe Bryant built and some new signage is not going to change that.
The banners in the rafters will never come down and all the memories will only grow stronger with time.
Crypto.com is reportedly paying $700 million for a 20-year naming rights deal, so it’s clear why this offer could not be refused.
Perhaps in 20 years from now the crypto market will bust and Staples will rebound, only to get their name back on the iconic arena.
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It will always be staples center to me. I’m a diehard Laker fan. They can change the name of this house but the memories, banners, retired jersies, trophies etc will live on forever. Kobe built this house RIP Mamba.