When the Los Angeles Rams made their comeback to the city prior to the 2016 NFL season, they brought with them the anticipation of the most lucrative stadium in the country. Although the Rams are already expected to share the venue with the Los Angeles Chargers when it opens in 2019, there might possibly be another team in play.
According to Sam Farmer and Nathan Fenno of Los Angeles Times, Rams owner Stan Kroenke and Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer have discussed building a separate arena along with the new stadium:
Five people with knowledge of the conversations told The Times the arena could either be on the 298-acre site or an adjacent parcel. Either way, an arena would drive traffic to the planned mixed-use development and share parking with the $2.6-billion football stadium scheduled to open in 2019.
The Clippers have always played second-fiddle to the legendary Los Angeles Lakers. In terms of recognition at the Staples Center, it could be said they fall in behind both the Lakers and the Los Angeles Kings. If anything, the move would allow the Clippers to create a genuine home crowd of their own — not to mention the time they would save by not having to cover the Lakers championship banners every other night.
Los Angeles has become a hotbed of sports entertainment in the last year as they are now the home of multiple teams in nearly every major sport. While the sports landscape in Los Angeles has certainly undergone drastic changes, it will be interesting to see how the pecking order lays out in 2019.
