$122.3 billion net worth Steve Ballmer motivated to outshine Lakers as LA's most successful team with new arena

LA Clippers billionaire Steve Ballmer is hoping to outshine the LA Lakers with his team's newest arena, the Intuit Dome. The Clippers' time at the Crypto.com Arena has ended and they will start the 2024-25 NBA season at their new home in Inglewood.

Speaking to Jon Wertheim for "60 Minutes" on CBS, Ballmer was asked about being in the same city as the Lakers.

The former Microsoft CEO acknowledged that it's hard to share with the Lakers given their success and history, which includes 17 NBA championships.

But one thing that Ballmer noticed during his time as the owner of the Clippers is the need for a new arena.

It's the reason why he invested $2 billion to build the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, where the Lakers' former arena was located. It officially opened on August 15, 2024, with a seating capacity of 18,000.

Steve Ballmer is hoping that the Intuit Dome's futuristic features and amenities will help build a more solid fanbase. One of the things that the LA Clippers' new arena boasts is noise sensors, which detect the fans who cheer the loudest during games.

"We have sensors around the building that can tell, down to the individual-seat level, how loud you are," Ballmer said, according to CBS News. "Now, we're not listening to your conversation. But let's say we say, 'OK, for this game, the person who produces the most decibels the most consistently will get a free hamburger the next game.'"

The Intuit Dome will also feature "The Wall" section, which is a standing-room-only part of the arena.

It will host the die-hard Clippers fans who are tasked with disrupting the opponents during the game. Fans who purchase the season pass for "The Wall" will get a ton of benefits from the team, as reported by Forbes.

---

Steve Ballmer opening new LA Clippers era without Paul George

Steve Ballmer opening new LA Clippers era without Paul George. (Photo: IMAGN)

The LA Clippers will start a new era in their franchise history with Paul George, who left the team in free agency to join the Philadelphia 76ers.

Clippers owner Steve Ballmer, who has a whopping $122.3 billion net worth (per Forbes), had his hands tied when George turned down his offer.

Due to the restrictions of the new CBA, the Clippers were unable to hand out more money to George in free agency. Ballmer is not angry at his former player but hated that he had to leave on a "personal level."

"I love Paul," Ballmer said, according to ESPN. "Let's start with Paul as a human being. Paul is a great human being, and I've really enjoyed my opportunity to get to know Paul's family. So on a personal level, I hated it. I hated it. ... With the new CBA, what tools, what flexibility (can be restricted), we made Paul what I consider a great offer."

George spent five seasons with the Clippers, leading them to the playoffs three times, including the franchise's first-ever trip to the Western Conference Finals in 2021.