Crypto.com Arena

Crypto.com Arena (formerly Staples Center) is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Downtown Los Angeles.

Opened on October 17, 1999, it is located next to the Los Angeles Convention Center complex along Figueroa Street, and has since been considered a part of L.A. Live. Owned and operated by Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG), it is currently the home venue of the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League (NHL)—which are both owned in part by AEG's founder Philip Anschutz, as well as the Los Angeles Clippers of the NBA and the WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks.

Crypto.com Arena
The House that Kobe Built
Crypto.com Arena
Crypto.com Arena
The arena in 2023
Crypto.com Arena is located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area
Crypto.com Arena
Crypto.com Arena
Location in L.A. metro area
Crypto.com Arena is located in California
Crypto.com Arena
Crypto.com Arena
Location in California
Crypto.com Arena is located in the United States
Crypto.com Arena
Crypto.com Arena
Location in the United States
Former namesStaples Center (1999–2021)
Address1111 South Figueroa Street
LocationLos Angeles, California
Coordinates34°02′35″N 118°16′02″W / 34.04306°N 118.26722°W / 34.04306; -118.26722
Public transitCrypto.com Arena A Line E Line J Line  Pico
OwnerAnschutz Entertainment Group (AEG)
CapacityConcerts: 20,000
Basketball: 19,079
Boxing/Wrestling: 16,000–21,000
Ice hockey: 18,230
Arena football: 16,096
Field size950,000 sq ft (88,000 m2)
Construction
Broke groundMarch 31, 1997 (1997-03-31)
OpenedOctober 17, 1999 (1999-10-17)
Construction costUS$375 million
(US$659 million in 2022 dollars)
ArchitectNBBJ
Structural engineerJohn A Martin & Associates
Services engineerM-E Engineers Inc.
General contractorPCL Construction Services, Inc.
Tenants
Los Angeles Kings (NHL) (1999–present)
Los Angeles Sparks (WNBA) (2001–present)
Los Angeles Lakers (NBA) (1999–present)
Los Angeles Clippers (NBA) (1999–2024)
Los Angeles Avengers (AFL) (2000–2008)
Los Angeles D-Fenders (NBA G-League) (2006–2010)

It is the only arena in the NBA shared by two teams, as well as one of only three North American professional sports venues (alongside SoFi Stadium in nearby Inglewood, and New Jersey's MetLife Stadium) to currently host two teams from the same league. The venue is also frequently used for major concerts, and has been the most frequent host of the Grammy Awards ceremony since its opening.

Crypto.com Arena will host the basketball competition during the 2028 Summer Olympics. In 2024, the Clippers are scheduled to leave Crypto.com Arena for their own arena, Intuit Dome.

Description

Crypto.com Arena has 950,000 square feet (88,257.9 m2) of total space, with a 94-foot (28.7 m) by 200-foot (61.0 m) arena floor. It stands 150 feet (45.7 m) tall. The arena seats up to 19,067 for basketball, 18,145 for ice hockey, and around 20,000 for concerts or other sporting events. Two-thirds of the arena's seating, including 2,500 club seats, are in the lower bowl. There are also 160 luxury suites, including 15 event suites, on three levels between the lower and upper bowls. The arena's attendance record is held by the fight between World WBA Welterweight Champion Antonio Margarito and Shane Mosley with a crowd of 20,820, set on January 25, 2009.

Star Plaza

Crypto.com Arena 
Star Plaza entrance at Crypto.com Arena

Outside the arena at the Star Plaza are statues of famous Los Angeles athletes and broadcasters. Additionally, the Los Angeles Kings Monument was erected in Star Plaza in 2016.

Following is a list of statues on display:

Name Sport Date Notes
Wayne Gretzky Ice hockey October 9, 2002 Played for the Los Angeles Kings at The Forum from 1988–1996
Magic Johnson Basketball February 11, 2004 Played for the Los Angeles Lakers at The Forum from 1979–1991 and in 1996
Oscar De La Hoya Boxing December 1, 2008, East Los Angeles, California native
Chick Hearn Basketball April 20, 2010 Long-time Lakers broadcaster (1961–2002)
Jerry West Basketball February 17, 2011 Played for the Lakers from 1960–1974 and coached the Lakers from 1976–1979
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Basketball November 16, 2012 Played for the Lakers at The Forum from 1975–1989
Luc Robitaille Ice hockey March 7, 2015 Played for the Kings from 1986–1994, 1997–2001, and 2003–2006
Shaquille O'Neal Basketball March 24, 2017

Played for the Lakers from 1996–2004

Bob Miller Ice hockey January 13, 2018 Long-time Kings broadcaster (1973–2017)
Elgin Baylor Basketball April 6, 2018 Played for the Lakers from 1958–1971
Dustin Brown Ice hockey February 11, 2023 Played for the Kings from 2003–2022
Kobe Bryant Basketball February 8, 2024 Played for the Lakers from 1996–2016

History

Crypto.com Arena 
During a Lakers game prior to the installation of the new scoreboard, and after the implementation of a new lighting system

The arena has been referred to as "the deal that almost wasn't." Long before construction broke ground, plans for the arena were negotiated between elected city officials and real estate developers Edward P. Roski of Majestic Realty and Philip Anschutz. Roski and Anschutz had acquired the Los Angeles Kings in 1995 and in 1996 began looking for a new home for their team, which then played at the Forum in Inglewood.

Majestic Realty Co. and AEG were scouring the Los Angeles area for available land to develop an arena when they were approached by Steve Soboroff, then president of the LA Recreation and Parks Commission. Soboroff requested that they consider building the arena in downtown Los Angeles adjacent to the convention center. This proposal intrigued Roski and Anschutz, and soon a plan to develop the arena was devised.

Months of negotiations ensued between Anschutz and city officials, with Roski and John Semcken of Majestic Realty Co. spearheading the negotiations for the real estate developers. The negotiations grew contentious at times and the real estate developers threatened to pull out altogether on more than one occasion. The main opposition came from Councilman Joel Wachs, who opposed utilizing public funds to subsidize the proposed project, and councilwoman Rita Walters, who objected to parts of it.

Ultimately, the developers and city leaders reached an agreement, and in 1997, construction broke ground on the new building, which opened two years later. It was financed privately at a cost of US$375 million and was named for the office-supply company Staples, Inc., which was one of the center's corporate sponsors that paid for naming rights. Staples' 20-year naming rights deal was renewed in 2009. The arena opened on October 17, 1999, with a Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band concert as its inaugural event.

On October 21, 2009, the arena celebrated its tenth anniversary. To commemorate the occasion, the venue's official web site nominated 25 of the arena's greatest moments from its first ten years with fans voting on the top ten.

The Los Angeles Avengers of the Arena Football League (AFL) and the South Bay Lakers of the NBA G League were also tenants of Staples Center; the Avengers folded in 2009, and the D-Fenders moved to the Lakers' practice facility at the Toyota Sports Center in El Segundo, California for the 2011–12 season.

Crypto.com Arena 
The arena in 2016, prior to a Kings game featuring the new jumbotron.

During the 2010 NBA and NHL offseason, the arena was renovated with refurbished locker rooms for the Lakers, Kings, and Clippers, and the installation of a new US$10 million HD center-hung video scoreboard and jumbotron, replacing the original one that had been in place since the building opened in 1999. The Panasonic Live 4HD scoreboard was officially unveiled on September 22, 2010, as AEG and Staples Center executives, as well as player representatives from the Lakers (Sasha Vujacic), Clippers (Craig Smith), and Kings (Matt Greene) were on hand for the presentation.

On January 15, 2018, in the aftermath of an NBA basketball game between the Houston Rockets and the Los Angeles Clippers, point guard Chris Paul utilized a secret tunnel (connecting the away team's locker room to the backdoor of the Clippers locker room) to confront former Clipper teammates Austin Rivers and Blake Griffin. Paul was joined by teammates Trevor Ariza, James Harden, and Gerald Green to confront the opponents, which only resulted in verbal altercations.

Following the death of Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and seven others in a helicopter crash in January 2020, a number of media outlets picked up on a phrase used by some, referring to the arena as "The House That Kobe Built", due to his historic 20-year career with the Lakers. On August 24, 2020, Los Angeles City Council president Herb Wesson announced a proposal to rename the stretch of Figueroa Street around Staples Center to "Kobe Bryant Boulevard".

In September 2021, the Clippers broke ground on a new arena in Inglewood, California known as Intuit Dome, which is expected to become its new home arena in 2024.

On November 16, 2021, it was announced that the naming rights to the Staples Center had been acquired by Singapore-based cryptocurrency exchange Crypto.com, renaming it Crypto.com Arena effective December 25, 2021 (with the changeover coinciding with the Lakers' nationally televised Christmas Day game). The deal was reported to be valued at $700 million over 20 years, in comparison to the $116 million paid by Staples under its previous 20-year agreement—making it the most valuable naming rights contract in all of sports. The name change was met with opposition and many fans still refer to this arena as the Staples Center.

In 2022, the arena began to undergo a multi-phase renovation, expected to be completed in 2024; the first phase over the 2022 NBA and NHL offseason included new video boards and ribbon displays, and updated concessions. There are plans for the City View Terrace to be converted into an indoor outdoor deck, a new area known as the Tunnel Club, Chick Hearn Court to be converted into a pedestrian plaza between the arena and the rest of L.A. Live, and updated player facilities such as locker rooms.

Events

Music

Crypto.com Arena 
Outside the arena in 2006

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band were the first act to perform at the venue on its opening in 1999. Dave Matthews Band famously played the venue twice in 2008, despite the first show being the day of founding member and saxophonist LeRoi Moore's death.

After the American singer Michael Jackson died in 2009, a televised memorial service was held at the arena. Its operator, AEG, had promoted the This Is It concert residency that Jackson had been scheduled to perform at The O2 Arena in London. Jackson had been rehearsing at the arena in the weeks prior to his death; he last had rehearsed there approximately 12 hours before his death (on the same day).

It hosted the 1st Annual Latin Grammy Awards in 2000 and the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards. In 2011, Jenni Rivera became the first female regional Mexican musician to perform a sell-out at the arena.

Taylor Swift has performed 16 sellouts at Crypto.com Arena—the most of any performer at the venue. On August 21, 2015, prior to one of her performances on the 1989 Tour, Kobe Bryant presented Swift with a banner commemorating this achievement, which was hung in the arena's rafters. The Taylor Swift banner, however, became the subject of a curse among Lakers and Kings fans, who suspected that the banner was contributing to their teams' respective playoff droughts. Eventually, the Kings began to hide the Taylor Swift banner during home games, and the banner was taken down entirely in December 2020.

Mexican musicians Gloria Trevi and Alejandra Guzmán played two sellout shows at the arena in 2017. Rapper Nipsey Hussle's memorial service was held at the venue on April 11, 2019. As part of Super Bowl LVI festivities, the arena hosted the "Super Bowl Music Fest" in February 2022, headlined by Halsey, Machine Gun Kelly, Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani, Miley Cyrus, and Green Day.

Grammy Awards

The annual Grammy Awards ceremony has been held at Crypto.com Arena since 2000, with the exception of 2003, 2018, 2021 and 2022. As of 2023, the venue has hosted the Grammy Awards 20 times, hosting more than any other venue in the history of the Grammy Awards.

Sports

The venue opened in 1999 as the home of the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers (NBA), and Los Angeles Kings of the NHL. The Los Angeles Sparks of the WNBA joined in 2001, while the Los Angeles D-Fenders of the NBA D-League joined in 2006. It became home to the Los Angeles Avengers of the Arena Football League in 2000 until the team's discontinuation in 2009.

Since its opening day, the arena has hosted seven NBA Finals series with the Lakers, the 2012 and 2014 Stanley Cup Finals, three WNBA Finals, the 2002 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, the 52nd and 62nd NHL All-Star game, three NBA All-Star Games (2004, 2011 and 2018), the Pac-10 Conference men's basketball tournament (2002–12), the WTA Tour Championships (2002–05), UFC 60 in 2006, UFC 104 in 2009, UFC 184 in 2015, UFC 227 in 2018, the 2009 World Figure Skating Championships, the Summer X Games indoor competitions (2003–13), and several HBO Championship Boxing matches.

Crypto.com Arena 
Before a Clippers game, featuring the new hanging scoreboard

On January 22, 2006, Los Angeles Lakers player Kobe Bryant scored a career-high 81 points in the Crypto.com Arena against the Toronto Raptors, the second-highest number of points scored in a single game in NBA history, second only to Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point performance. Of the team's six NBA championships since moving to the venue, the Lakers have celebrated their 2000 and 2010 victories at Crypto.com Arena with series-winning victories at home.[citation needed]

Prior to the 2006–07 NBA season, the lighting inside the arena was modified for Lakers games. The lights were focused only on the court itself (hence the promotional Lights Out campaign), reminiscent of the Lakers' early years at The Forum. The initial fan reaction was positive and has been a fixture on home games since. The Daktronics see-through shot clock was first installed prior to the 2008–09 NBA season.[citation needed] The Clippers adopted the new see-through shot clock prior to the 2010–11 NBA season.[citation needed] For Sparks games, the court used is named after Sparks player Lisa Leslie, and was officially named prior to the 2009 home opener against the Shock on June 23, 2006.

The Los Angeles Kings hosted the 2010 NHL Entry Draft at the arena in June 2010. In 2012, the Clippers, Kings, and Lakers all advanced to their leagues' respective playoffs, with the Kings ultimately playing their first Stanley Cup Finals at the arena; on June 11, the Kings defeated the New Jersey Devils in Game 6 to win their first Stanley Cup in franchise history.

The Lakers unveiled a new hardwood court before their preseason game on October 13, 2012. Taking a cue from soccer clubs, the primary center court logo was adorned with 16 stars, representing the first 16 championships the Lakers franchise had won. A 17th star was added to the court and unveiled before their regular season opener on December 22, 2020, to represent the franchise winning its 17th championship in the 2020 NBA Finals.

Crypto.com Arena 
Panoramic view during a Lakers game

Crypto.com Arena has hosted the following championship events:

  • NBA Finals:
    • 2000: On June 19, 2000, the Lakers defeated the Indiana Pacers 116–111 in game 6, which took place at home, to win their twelfth championship title. This was also notable for being their first championship since 1988.
    • 2001: The Lakers hosted games 1 and 2 versus the Philadelphia 76ers. They eventually won the series in five games.
    • 2002: The Lakers hosted games 1 and 2 versus the New Jersey Nets. They eventually swept the series in four games.
    • 2004: The Lakers hosted games 1 and 2 versus the Detroit Pistons. They eventually lost the series in five games.
    • 2008: The Lakers hosted games 3, 4 and 5 versus the Boston Celtics. They eventually lost the series in six games.
    • 2009: The Lakers hosted games 1 and 2 versus the Orlando Magic. They eventually won the series in five games.
    • 2010: On June 17, 2010, the Lakers defeated the Boston Celtics 83–79 in game 7, which took place at home, to win their sixteenth championship title.
  • Stanley Cup Finals:
    • 2012: On June 11, 2012, the Kings captured their first Stanley Cup in franchise history after defeating the New Jersey Devils 6–1 in game 6.
    • 2014: On June 13, 2014, the Kings captured their second Stanley Cup in franchise history after defeating the New York Rangers 3–2 in double overtime of game 5.

In 2018, the arena hosted Monster Jam for the very first time. In 2019, the PBR Unleash the Beast Series hosted its Iron Cowboy event at the arena, marking the first PBR event to be held there. On June 9, 2019, the ACE Family hosted a charity basketball game against singer Chris Brown.[citation needed]

On November 9, 2019, the arena hosted KSI vs. Logan Paul II, a boxing event headlined by a rematch between the two YouTubers.[citation needed] On November 28, 2020, the arena hosted the boxing event Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr.

Crypto.com Arena 
During a Lakers game in November 2023.

On April 14, 2024, the Clippers will play their final regular season game at the arena against the Houston Rockets.

2028 Summer Olympics

Crypto.com Arena is expected to host basketball during the 2028 Summer Olympics. Per IOC rules, the venue must be referred to under a generic name for the duration of the Games.

Esports

In 2013 and 2016, the arena hosted the finals of the League of Legends World Championship.

Professional wrestling

Along with hosting many episodes of Raw and SmackDown, such as the latter's 20th anniversary season premiere on October 4, 2019, Crypto.com Arena has also hosted the following WWE pay-per-views:

A broadcast of WCW Monday Nitro was held at the arena on January 24, 2000.

The arena hosted SmackDown and the 2023 WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony on March 31 as well as NXT Stand & Deliver on April 1 and Raw on April 3, as part of WrestleMania 39 weekend.

Politics

The 2000 Democratic National Convention was held at the venue.

Celebrity memorials

The arena has hosted three public memorials for celebrities.

First, it was for the memorial of musician Michael Jackson following his death on June 25, 2009. The memorial took place on July 7, 2009. It included eulogies or performances from Smokey Robinson, Mariah Carey, Macaulay Culkin, Trey Lorenz, Queen Latifah, Lionel Richie, John Mayer, Stevie Wonder, Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson, Jennifer Hudson, Berry Gordy, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Rev. Al Sharpton, Brooke Shields, Martin Luther King III, Bernice King, Sheila Jackson-Lee, Usher, Shaheen Jafargholi, Kenny Ortega, Judith Hill, Orianthi Panagaris, his siblings Marlon, Jermaine, and Janet, and his daughter Paris.

In 2019, a memorial took place at the arena for rapper Nipsey Hussle following his death on March 31, 2019. The memorial service took place on April 11, 2019. Attendees and performers included rapper YG, Stevie Wonder who sang "Tears in Heaven", his wife Lauren London, Jhené Aiko, Anthony Anderson, Marsha Ambrosius and Snoop Dogg who gave a eulogy. A hurst procession after the service followed through various South Los Angeles communities.

In 2020, it served as the location for the public memorial of basketball player Kobe Bryant following the death of him and his daughter Gianna, among others, in the 2020 Calabasas helicopter crash. It took place on February 24 (2/24, a reference to Gianna's and Kobe's basketball numbers) 2020. It included eulogies from his wife Vanessa, Shaquille O'Neal, Michael Jordan, Rob Pelinka, Diana Taurasi, and Sabrina Ionescu.

Awards and recognitions

Staples Center was named Best Major Concert Venue for 1998 and Arena of the Year for 1999, 2000 and 2001 by Pollstar Magazine and has been nominated each year since 2000. In February 2013, PETA named the arena the most "vegetarian-friendly" arena in the NBA.

See also

References

Events and tenants
Preceded by Home of the
Los Angeles Kings

1999–present
Succeeded by
current
Preceded by Home of the Los Angeles Lakers
1999–present
Succeeded by
current
Preceded by Home of the Los Angeles Clippers
1999–present
Succeeded by
Intuit Dome
(under construction)
Preceded by
first arena
Home of the Los Angeles Avengers
2000–2008
Succeeded by
current
Preceded by Home of the Los Angeles Sparks
2001–present
Succeeded by
current
Preceded by Venues of the NHL All-Star Game
2002
2017
Succeeded by
Preceded by WTA Tour Championships venues
2002–2005
Succeeded by
Preceded by Venues of the NBA All-Star Game
2004
2011
Succeeded by
Preceded by Host of WrestleMania
2005 (21)
Succeeded by
Preceded by Venues of the MTV Video Music Awards
2012
Succeeded by
Preceded by Permanent venue of WWE SummerSlam
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
Succeeded by
Preceded by League of Legends World Championship
Final Venue

2016
Succeeded by

Tags:

Crypto.com Arena DescriptionCrypto.com Arena HistoryCrypto.com Arena EventsCrypto.com Arena Awards and recognitionsCrypto.com Arena GalleryCrypto.com Arena

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