After sharing Crypto.com Arena with the Los Angeles Lakers for more than two decades, Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer built a new arena to begin a new era.
The Intuit Dome made headlines even before Ballmer and company broke ground near SoFi Stadium.
In the 2024-25 season opener, the Clippers were finally able to play on their own court and out of the shadow of the Lakers, playing host to Kevin Durant and the star-studded Phoenix Suns.
One of the many innovative aspects of the new arena is something called “The Wall,” which places fans in a unique configuration designed to distract opposing players when making free-throw attempts.
ESPN insider Brian Windhorst said the tactic actually worked in the season opener against the Suns, even though the Clippers lost down the stretch in a hard-fought battle.
“Real talk. On teams’ first time through the Intuit Dome … [visiting teams] may want to consider not shooting at that end in the second half,” Windhorst said, via NBA on ESPN. “The Suns missed a bunch of free throws because the angle of that wall is different than any other building I’ve ever seen.”
"The Suns missed a bunch of free throws because the angle of that wall is different than any other building I've ever seen." ? @malika_andrews and @WindhorstESPN on "The Wall" at the Clippers' new arena, the Intuit Dome ? pic.twitter.com/SKiXwT9XP1
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) October 24, 2024
The ultimate goal is creating enough of a distraction to give the Clippers a real home-court advantage, which is something the franchise never really had at Crypto.com Arena.
It’ll be interesting to see how this works throughout the season and whether it gives the Clippers a clear edge in key moments.
NEXT: Kevin Durant Reveals His Thoughts On Clippers' New Wall In Intuit Dome
