NBA players have always dealt with raucous and distracting fans behind the net at road games. Now, the Los Angeles Clippers are taking it to the next level with their soon-to-be-completed new home at Inglewood’s Intuit Dome.
It’s called The Wall, and the team is making one thing very clear: no opposing fans are allowed. No exceptions.
The Wall consists of 51 uninterrupted rows of fans who will pay as little as $30 per ticket.
“Behind the basket and close to the action, this standing-only section is built to house 300 of our most energetic fans who will help us deliver an unbelievable in-game experience,” the team says on its website.
The Clippers expect these fans to be loud and create an atmosphere unmatched in the National Basketball Association.
“If you think about what goes on in European soccer [and] American college basketball, and you combine those things together, and then you add a few additional features that are uniquely our own, that’s what The Wall is going to be like,” said Clippers team president Gillian Zucker.
While freedom of speech and expression may be important principles in the U.S., you can check them at the concourse.
The Wall is for Clippers fans only, the team says, and if you choose to be there, you and your guests cannot cheer for the opposing team or wear any gear that supports the opponent – or else you’ll get the boot.
Not from the arena entirely, just from The Wall.
The Clippers have also enacted policies to try to prevent non-fans from buying Wall tickets on the resale market through its Chuckmark certification program.
“[It’s] an experience where people who come are going to be delighted to be a part of it … and they’ll be delighted to watch it if they’re not sitting in that area,” said Zucker.
Bruno Mars is set to open Intuit Dome with back-to-back concerts on Aug. 15 and 16. The Clippers move into their new home this fall.
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