LA Clippers: James Worthy approves of Ballmer’s purchase of The Forum
Former Lakers star James Worthy told the media that he is all for Steve Ballmer purchasing The Forum and giving the Clippers their own stadium.
Los Angeles Lakers legend James Worthy spoke to ClutchPoints recently about several topics, most notably the recent purchase of The Forum by LA Clippers owner, Steve Ballmer.
Worthy played his entire career for the Lakers who used The Forum as their home arena during that time. The team moved to Staples Center in 1999 but The Forum held the history of the Showtime Lakers. He understands the meaning of that arena to both the team and the city.
The Lakers and Clippers rivalry has been bitter at times, more so recently as both teams finally have championship aspirations. Lakers fans can often be seen complaining online that the Clippers are renters and need to get their own arena. Those fans are finally getting their wish in 2024.
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Despite being a Laker for life though, Worthy ultimately seems cool with the purchase, citing how good of a guy Steve Ballmer is.
"“He’s a good guy. He’s gonna build a stadium, try to move in on our fans over there. That’s gonna be tough. But you know, I’m all about moving forward and doing what’s good for the city. If it’s going to help Inglewood, if it’s going to bring more employment and all that kind of stuff, I’m all for that.”"
Worthy’s heart is in the right place. It’s nice to see someone connected to the Lakers acknowledge the Clippers attempt to make their own mark. He’s right that moving fans will be tough but this stadium is a step in the right direction. Worthy acknowledges that the purchase of The Forum was just a necessary step in order for Ballmer to build the Clippers a new stadium.
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Privately funded, the stadium in Inglewood will reportedly create 7,000 construction jobs as well as 1,500 permanent jobs once the stadium has opened. In order to help the environment, the arena will be green, producing no net greenhouse gas emissions. The team also hopes that retail stores, restaurants, and other businesses will benefit from the stadium.