Clippers announce 2026 NBA All-Star Weekend at new Intuit Dome

INGLEWOOD — The acre-sized video board is dark, and the arena is largely void of seats. Construction crews continue to work around the clock to meet deadlines.

Yet, amid the sounds of saws and hammers, the NBA officially announced Tuesday that the 2026 NBA All-Star Game will be played at the soon-to-be-completed Intuit Dome, the Clippers’ future home.

The 17,700-seat state-of-the-art arena is scheduled to open in August, with the Clippers set to play their first season in Inglewood beginning this fall.

“It’s such an honor for us to be able to host an All-Star Game,” Clippers owner Steve Ballmer, adorned in a hard hat and a fluorescent vest, said during a press conference at the unfinished arena. “I was giddy when I heard it was possible and even giddier when the NBA said we were getting it.”

The team will play one full season in its new home before hosting the All-Star Game midway through its second season, giving the arena staff and team officials time to work out any kinks. NBA commissioner Adam Silver said putting the game at the new arena made sense.

“The opportunity presented itself because we like to bring All-Star activities to new arenas or newly refurbished arenas,” Silver said. “And when we went through our schedule, it just worked out this way for ’26. Obviously, we recently announced San Francisco for the prior year (2025) and it fit within the calendar. And part of it is, frankly, the passion that the team brings to wanting to have the All-Star Game here.

“And you saw firsthand from Steve and from Gillian (Zucker, the Clippers’ president of business operations), there’s an enormous passion from the top of the organization throughout the Clippers’ organization to hosting an All-Star. And that had a lot to do with it.”

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said the 2026 All-Star Game is projected to generate more than $350 million for the region. Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts also attended the announcement.

“That’s amazing,” she said. “That’s 2026. Then we have the World Cup (summer 2026), the 2027 Super Bowl, and the 2028 Olympics. All those events can be transformative to our region.”

The Intuit Dome will be the site of the 2028 Olympic basketball competition, Silver said.

Silver said in his 32 years of working in the NBA, he has had the opportunity to visit arenas around the globe and the unfinished arena “is unlike anything I’ve ever seen.” He toured the site with Ballmer for an hour before Tuesday’s press conference.

“It all starts with the fact Steve Ballmer chose to build a basketball-centric arena … he wanted to build this arena and make basketball the centerpiece,” Silver added. “I think everyone knows he likes things loud. It’s going to be loud in here. It’s this incredible experience.”

On top of Ballmer’s love of basketball and all things Clippers, Silver said his background with technology gives the Intuit Dome a huge advantage. Ballmer is the former CEO of Microsoft.

When finished, the Intuit Dome will be a cutting-edge arena that will include a practice facility and a large outdoor plaza with basketball courts that will be open to the public.

Inside, the arena is designed to deliver an intimate and immersive fan experience with 120 restrooms and concession stands.

The roof of the privately financed $2 billion arena is designed to accommodate the halo board’s 44,000 square feet of LED lights and each seat will be able to record when a patron stands or sits.

“I’ll just say if you want this to be the ultimate basketball experience on the planet, this is as good as it gets,” Ballmer said. “The pinnacle, the peak. Now of course some here, somebody will bypass us, but man, (we) put everything in getting ahead of that in this building. This is the primary thing.”

Los Angeles last hosted NBA All-Star Weekend in 2018 at Crypto.com Arena, which was then known as Staples Center. L.A. has hosted the midseason event six times (1963, 1972, 1983, 2004, 2011, 2018), more than any city in the league.

The 2026 All-Star on-court events will tip off on Friday, Feb. 13, at the Intuit Dome, including the NBA Rising Stars showcase for top rookies and second-year NBA players.

On Feb. 14, All-Star Saturday Night will feature the skills, 3-point and dunk contests. The weekend will culminate with the NBA All-Star Game on Sunday, Feb. 15.

The NBA will host several events at venues throughout Los Angeles and Inglewood, including at the Ballmer-owned Kia Forum and the L.A. Convention Center. These events will include All-Star practice, the All-Star Celebrity Game and an NBA All-Star fanfest.

The league will also continue to celebrate its commitment to social responsibility with a full schedule of NBA Cares events that week.

“The league gave us a year to get our act together so that we can be, not just perfect but, perfect when the All-Star Game comes here,” Ballmer said. “I mean, just think if you want to have the pinnacle of basketball, you have to have the very best players in the world playing here. And we’re just beyond delighted.”

The 2024 NBA All-Star Weekend will be held next month in Indianapolis.

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Clippers announce 2026 NBA All-Star Weekend at new Intuit Dome – Daily News

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