“We’re going to try to make this the most intimate, exciting place in the world to watch a basketball game. And I think we’re there.” LA Clippers owner Steve Ballmer had earlier revealed having bold expectations for the Intuit Dome. After all, it would serve as a home base for the LA Clippers after years of having shared the Crypto.Com Arena (nee Staples Center). Furthermore, the construction of over $2 billion in investments ensured NBA enthusiasts would enjoy a unique experience.

The dome may have succeeded in providing all that. The one thing, however, that it couldn’t contribute to the Clippers was ‘home-court advantage.’ Until now!

The recent matchup saw the LA Clippers secure a win against the San Antonio Spurs through a 113-104 score. The home squad was 8 points behind when halftime approached. However, Jeremy Sochan’s injury may have given the advantage to James Harden and Co. This was the first regular season game the Clippers had won at the Intuit Dome. Therefore, several media members soon approached James Harden to get his reaction. The point guard/shooting guard certainly felt relieved.

After all, the string of home losses initially made him believe that “the sh*t was cursed at first.” More than the win, however, he would have been glad Steve Ballmer doesn’t have to act on one of his ‘claims.’

“Steve came in trying to make jokes about it,” said Harden about the Intuit Dome. When asked what the owner said, the player continued, “He thought he was gonna have to tear it down and build a new one. That tells you how much money he got.” Well, Steve Ballmer was the CEO of Microsoft from 2000 to 2014, and today boasts a net worth of a whopping $125 billion. If he cannot tear the stadium down to build another one, which NBA franchise owner can?

The Intuit Dome stands out in various aspects. The exterior area contains an 80,000-square-foot outdoor plaza, accompanied by an outdoor hoops court of regulation size, an amphitheater-styled staircase, etc. Steve Ballmer himself took pride in the “1,160 toilets and urinals” that the arena boasts. He should do so since the shortage of restrooms has been an issue in several other arenas. A state-of-the-art Halo Board adorns the top of the playing area. With a 360-degree build, it allows score access to every attendee. To top it off, they reportedly fitted the board with a T-shirt cannon!

Such amenities would make the experience worthwhile for the fans. However, if the home team cannot win, then the experience gets diminished by a bit. Fortunately, James Harden and 9 other players defeated the Spurs, broke the curse, and successfully defended the honor of the Intuit Dome!

Believe it or not, the LA Clippers possess a mentionable advantage; specifically placed within the arena for their use. The same couldn’t even avoid Devin Booker’s eyes when he competed at the Dome, potentially causing him to be careful about future games.

Devin Booker praises the Clippers fans filled ‘Wall’ of the Dome: “Sh*t might work”

Kevin Durant was amongst the few players from the rival team who were in awe of the Intuit Dome when first playing inside it. Furthermore, it helped the situation when he and the Phoenix Suns could defeat the Clippers during the latter’s season opener. A specific part of the arena, the Wall, also impressed Devin Booker. Located right behind a basket, this section of the Dome houses 51 uninterrupted rows, with seats for over 18,000 fans. However, only a ‘Chuckmark-certified fan’ of the Clippers can get a seat at the ‘Wall.’ Anyone cheering or even wearing the gear of the visiting team is off-limits.

For a visiting team player, having an entire section of the arena solely cheering the Clippers, whilst booing you and your squad, is extremely distracting. As a result, Devin Booker could openly state “I missed a free throw, man. I was pissed. KD (Kevin Durant) missed two down there, too, so that sh*t might work. You spend $2 billion and put a wall up.”

Despite having won only 1 game at home, the LA Clippers still have a 3-4 win record. With time, things might improve for the franchise. After all, a few of the rival teams might succumb to the effects of the ‘Wall.’