Lakers legend James Worthy reacts to the Clippers’ return to Inglewood

The Los Angeles Clippers opened their brand new Intuit Dome last month, but will not host their first basketball game until the preseason in October. The state-of-the-art stadium is intended to be a paradise for basketball fans and especially Clippers fanswhich Los Angeles Lakers legend James Worthy is pleased to see.

James Worthy on Steve Baller, Intuit Dome

During the Showtime Lakers era, James Worthy and his team played basketball at the famous Great Western Forum in Inglewood, California. The Lakers eventually moved to the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles, but never forgot that their roots ran deep in Inglewood.

25 years later, Steve Ballmer and his LA Clippers have built a brand new stadium in the heart of Inglewood where they will play basketball in the future.

The Basketball Hall-of-Famer and Lakers legend donates annually to the Harold and Carole Pump Foundation, which raises money for cancer research. The foundation hosted a gala last month, and Worthy was there once again to show his support.

Worthy spoke to ClutchPoints at the gala, where he praised Steve Ballmer and the LA Clippers for the milestone of opening a brand new arena.

“I’m glad their owner (Steve) Ballmer is showing so much interest in the city of Inglewood and creating jobs and housing,” Worthy told ClutchPoints. “He’s got a great arena over there. I mean, it’s a great arena. He’s a tech guy and right next to SoFi, so the Clippers finally have a home they can call their own. They don’t have to look up and see the Lakers’ championship banners, even though they’ve covered those up, so it’s nice that they have that.”

The LA Clippers officially broke ground on the new Intuit Dome on September 17, 2021. Almost three years later, their new home is ready for the 2024-25 NBA regular season, with a beautiful halo board, Chargers seats and so many other incredible features.

“I remember when they were in San Diego and they came from Los Angeles, so it’s nice to see,” Worthy added. “They’re a really good organization, I know a lot of people that work there, not the players and stuff, but the sales and the tickets, and yeah, I think they do a great job.”

James Worthy is a fan of Steve Ballmer

This isn’t the first time Worthy has praised the Clippers and Steve Ballmer. Back in 2020, James Worthy spoke to ClutchPoints and expressed his admiration for Ballmer, who tried to accomplish what many didn’t think he could by building an arena for the Clippers in Los Angeles.

“I like Steve, you know,” James Worthy told ClutchPoints in 2020. “He’s a good guy. He’s going to build a stadium and try to appeal to our fans there. It’s going to be tough. But you know, I’m all about moving forward and doing what’s good for the city. If it helps Inglewood, if it creates more jobs and all those things, I’m all for it.”

James Worthy played 12 years in the NBA, all of that time for the Los Angeles Lakers. He and Magic Johnson led the Showtime Lakers to three championship rings during that time.

The LA Clippers’ first home game of the regular season is scheduled for October 23 at the Intuit Dome against the Phoenix Suns.