The LA Clippers are in a new era of sorts. With the services of Chris Paul no longer available due to his exodus to the Houston Rockets this offseason, the team is now in the hands of Blake Griffin. This past summer, LA signed Griffin to a 5-year $173 million extension. The deal officially cements the former number one overall pick as the face of the franchise.
Griffin is an exceptional talent on the court as well as off the court. His star power alone should be enough to keep the fans packed into Staples Center. At least that’s what Clippers’ owner Steve Ballmer is hoping. The Clippers are reportedly looking to make some high-priced seats available to those who want to be closer to the action.
Following from ESPN’S Darren Rovell:
The team has broken up its long scorers table, which has created eight new seats, called “Star Courtside” seats on the floor on the side of the players benches.
“It’s extremely rare to have space like this open in any arena” Clippers president Gillian Zucker said. “What we did here was create new beachfront property.”
The new seats won’t come cheap.
The Clippers aren’t publicly disclosing the price, but a league source says they’re asking for $175,000 a seat. The price includes access to the team’s all-inclusive clubs, in-seat waiter service and valet parking with access to a VIP entrance.
With 43 games on the schedule, including preseason, the seats come out to $4,070 a game, which isn’t the highest in the NBA. The Golden State Warriors and the New York Knicks have tickets which are more expensive.
Zucker said current courtside ticket holders will have the first shot on getting the seats before the team opens it to the general marketplace.The potential buyer?
“The seats can be seen on television, so it can be for someone who wants to be seen. It is, after all, Hollywood,” Zucker said. “Companies, agencies or just a hard-core fan who wants to get closer.”
Ten years ago, the Clippers’ seats went for roughly half the price of Lakers’ tickets. The balance of power has shifted with the Clippers’ rise and the Lakers’ fall.
