The biggest reason why we may begin to see more Clippers retired jerseys

When it comes to retired jersey numbers in the NBA, the LA Clippers are one of just two teams in the association to not have any jerseys hanging in their rafters. Now, given the public perception of the Clippers, some more casual basketball fans may think this is because the Clippers have just not had very many good players suit up for them over the years.

But in reality, anyone with a few minutes to do basic research can see that is not true. In the last decade and a half, the Clippers have had multiple All-NBA players and been one of the most consistently successful franchises in the league. No, the real reason they have no jerseys in their rafters is a bit more nuanced.

Think about where the Clippers have been playing all their home games for the last quarter century. Since 1999, they have been forced to share an arena with not just the Los Angeles Lakers, but also the NHL's Kings, as well as the WNBA's Sparks.

Intuit Dome could incentivize Clippers to retire jerseys

While sharing space with multiple other successful professional sports franchises, logic says that there will be less space to decorate and make the place feel like your own. It is very similar to living in a home or an apartment with other people. When living space is heavily divided up, it will feel like less of a true home and more of a temporary arrangement.

That sentence pretty closely captures how the Clippers have felt for the last 25 years, while time and time again having to play the weekend matinee game so the arena can be changed over for a Lakers primetime game that same evening. But now that is all in the past, with the Intuit Dome becoming the Clippers' arena 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and 365 days a year when it opens in August.

Having all that space dedicated exclusively to their franchise could incentivize the Clippers to finally put some of their most beloved players' jerseys in the rafters. Fans have been calling for Chris Paul and Blake Griffin specifically to have their numbers honored by the team for some time, and this feels like the perfect opportunity to make it happen over the course of the next few seasons.