NBA: New Clippers arena to host 2026 All-Star Game

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-01-17/NBA-New-Clippers-arena-to-host-2026-All-Star-Game-1qro71fNAmk/img/976004a0de434ddaa18662df4e55c44e/976004a0de434ddaa18662df4e55c44e.jpeg' alt='A view of the under-construction Clippers arena Intuit Dome in Inglewood, U.S., January 16, 2024. /CFP'

The Los Angeles’ Clippers new Intuit Dome, set to open next August, will host the 2026 NBA All-Star Game, the league said Tuesday.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver made the announcement at a press conference at the still-under-construction arena, alongside Clippers owner Steve Ballmer and Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass.

The All-Star game will return to Southern California for the first time since 2018, when it was held at Staples Center – now Crypto.com Arena – the venue currently shared by the Los Angeles Lakers and the Clippers.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-01-17/NBA-New-Clippers-arena-to-host-2026-All-Star-Game-1qro71fNAmk/img/a1922e40bac643229608ec81338da30d/a1922e40bac643229608ec81338da30d.jpeg' alt='A view of the All Star 2026 news conference at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, U.S., January 16, 2024. /CFP'

The $2 billion Intuit Dome will take the team to suburban Inglewood, not far from the Forum arena that formerly housed the Lakers.

“We are building Intuit Dome to house and showcase the best basketball players in the world, and we are honored they will all be under our roof for NBA All-Star,” said Ballmer, who became the Clippers’ majority owner in 2014.

“Along with Inglewood and Los Angeles, we thank the NBA for bringing the league’s marquee event to Intuit Dome in 2026.”

Silver later told reporters the new venue would also host basketball games at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.

A spokesperson for LA 2028 said how to incorporate the new venue into the 2028 Olympics would be discussed at a later date.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-01-17/NBA-New-Clippers-arena-to-host-2026-All-Star-Game-1qro71fNAmk/img/43fb04b04a5249b99d64164decb61e6b/43fb04b04a5249b99d64164decb61e6b.jpeg' alt='Sacramento Kings head coach Mike Brown (L) is held back by players after charging at referee Intae Hwang (#96) during the second half of the NBA game against the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, January 14, 2024. /CFP'

Also on Tuesday, the NBA said in a statement that Sacramento Kings head coach Mike Brown was fined $50,000 after confronting a game official during the Kings’ 143-142 overtime loss at Milwaukee and criticizing the officiating after the game.

Brown was fined “for aggressively pursuing a game official during live play,” the actions that got Brown tossed on January 14 when he vociferously protested a non-call when he thought De’Aaron Fox had been fouled.

Brown was still yelling as Kings guard Malik Monk wrapped his arms around him and shepherded him from the court, and after the game Brown used a laptop to show reporters at the post-game press conference the officiating inconsistencies that got him so steamed.

“I just want to show you guys why I got kicked out of the game,” Brown said before beginning his laptop presentation, showing different calls in the game and explaining it wasn’t just one call that angered him but what he saw as a lack of consistency in applying the rules.

“To me, as a coach … I’m OK as a coach because the referees are human and they’re going to make mistakes, but you just hope: A) There’s some sort of consistency; B) There’s some sort of communication between the refs. Tonight, the refs were great. They communicated with me all night, but in terms of the consistency, you guys saw it right here,” he said.

(With input from AFP)