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 Crypto.com Arena in 2023 | |
  Crypto.com Arena Location inLos Angeles metropolitan area Show map of the Los Angeles metropolitan area | |
| Former names | Staples Center (1999–2021) |
|---|---|
| Address | 1111 SouthFigueroa Street |
| Location | Los Angeles,California, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 34°02′35″N118°16′02″W / 34.04306°N 118.26722°W /34.04306; -118.26722 |
| Public transit |     Pico |
| Owner | Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) |
| Capacity | Concerts: 20,000 Basketball: 19,079[1] Boxing/Wrestling: 16,000–21,000 Ice hockey: 18,145[2] Arena football: 16,096 |
| Field size | 950,000 sq ft (88,000 m2) |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | March 31, 1997 (1997-03-31) |
| Opened | October 17, 1999 (1999-10-17) |
| Construction cost | US$375 million (US$708 million in 2024 dollars[3]) |
| Architect | NBBJ |
| Structural engineer | John A Martin & Associates[4] |
| Services engineer | M-E Engineers Inc. |
| General contractor | PCL Construction Services, Inc.[5] |
| Tenants | |
| Los Angeles Kings (NHL) (1999–present) Los Angeles Lakers (NBA) (1999–present) Los Angeles Clippers (NBA) (1999–2024) Los Angeles Avengers (AFL) (2000–2008) Los Angeles Sparks (WNBA) (2001–present) Los Angeles D-Fenders (NBA D-League) (2006–2010) | |
| Website | |
| cryptoarena | |
Crypto.com Arena (originally and colloquially known asStaples Center) is a multi-purpose indoorarena indowntown Los Angeles. Opened on October 17, 1999, as Staples Center, it is located next to theLos Angeles Convention Center complex alongFigueroa Street, and has since been considered a part ofL.A. Live. Owned and operated byAnschutz Entertainment Group (AEG), it is the home venue of theLos Angeles Lakers of theNational Basketball Association (NBA) andLos Angeles Kings of theNational Hockey League (NHL)—which are both owned in part by AEG's founderPhilip Anschutz, as well as theWNBA'sLos Angeles Sparks.
TheLos Angeles Clippers also played in the arena from1999 to2024, before leaving for their new arena,Intuit Dome, located inInglewood.
From 1999 to 2024, it was the only arena in the NBA shared by two teams, as well as one of only three North American professional sports venues (alongsideSoFi Stadium in nearby Inglewood, and New Jersey'sMetLife Stadium) to have hosted two teams from the same league. The venue is also frequently used for major concerts, and has been the most frequent host of theGrammy Awards ceremony since its opening.
Crypto.com Arena will host the gymnastics competition and boxing finals during the2028 Summer Olympics.
Crypto.com Arena has 950,000 square feet (88,257.9 m2) of total space, with a 94-foot (28.7 m) by 200-foot (61.0 m) arena floor. It stands 150 feet (45.7 m) tall.[6] The arena seats up to 19,067 forbasketball, 18,145 forice hockey, and around 20,000 forconcerts or other sporting events.[1][7] Two-thirds of the arena's seating, including 2,500 club seats, are in the lower bowl. There are also 160 luxury suites, including 15 event suites, on three levels between the lower and upper bowls.[6] The arena's attendance record is held by the fight between WorldWBAWelterweight ChampionAntonio Margarito andShane Mosley with a crowd of 20,820, set on January 25, 2009.[8]
Outside the arena at the Star Plaza are 13 statues of famous Los Angeles athletes and broadcasters. Additionally, theLos Angeles Kings Monument was erected in Star Plaza in 2016.[9] TheKobe and Gianna Bryant Memorial Statue was erected in 2024.[10] A third statue of Kobe Bryant, honoring his number 24, is planned.[11] In November 2024, the Lakers announced plans to honor former player and coachPat Riley with a statue in Star Plaza in 2025.[12]
Following is a list of statues on display:
| Name | Sport | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wayne Gretzky | Ice hockey | October 9, 2002 | See also:Statue of Wayne Gretzky Played for theLos Angeles Kings atThe Forum from 1988 to 1996 |
| Magic Johnson | Basketball | February 11, 2004 | See also:Statue of Magic Johnson Played for theLos Angeles Lakers at The Forum from 1979 to 1991 and in 1996 |
| Oscar De La Hoya | Boxing | December 1, 2008,[13] | See also:Statue of Oscar De La Hoya East Los Angeles, California native |
| Chick Hearn | Basketball | April 20, 2010 | See also:Statue of Chick Hearn Long-time Lakers broadcaster (1961–2002) |
| Jerry West | Basketball | February 17, 2011 | See also:Statue of Jerry West Played for the Lakers from 1960 to 1974 and coached the Lakers from 1976 to 1979 |
| Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | Basketball | November 16, 2012 | See also:Statue of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Played for the Lakers at The Forum from 1975 to 1989 |
| Luc Robitaille | Ice hockey | March 7, 2015[14] | See also:Statue of Luc Robitaille Played for the Kings from 1986 to 1994, 1997 to 2001, and 2003 to 2006 |
| Shaquille O'Neal | Basketball | March 24, 2017[15] | See also:Statue of Shaquille O'Neal Played for the Lakers from 1996 to 2004 |
| Bob Miller | Ice hockey | January 13, 2018[16] | See also:Statue of Bob Miller Long-time Kings broadcaster (1973–2017) |
| Elgin Baylor | Basketball | April 6, 2018[17] | See also:Statue of Elgin Baylor Played for the Lakers from 1958 to 1971 |
| Dustin Brown | Ice hockey | February 11, 2023[18] | Main article:Statue of Dustin Brown Played for the Kings from 2003 to 2022 |
| Kobe Bryant | Basketball | February 8, 2024[19] | Main article:Statue of Kobe Bryant Played for the Lakers from 1996 to 2016 |
| Kobe and Gianna Bryant | Basketball | August 2, 2024[10] | Main article:Statue of Kobe and Gianna Bryant Date represents both of Bryant's uniform numbers (8 and 24) and the Gianna's number 2. |
The arena has been referred to as "the deal that almost wasn't."[20][21] Long before construction broke ground, plans for the arena were negotiated between elected city officials andreal estate developersEdward P. Roski of Majestic Realty andPhilip Anschutz.[22] Roski and Anschutz had acquired theLos Angeles Kings in 1995 and in 1996 began looking for a new home for their team, which then played at theGreat Western Forum inInglewood.[23][24]
Majestic Realty Co. andAEG were scouring the Los Angeles area for available land to develop an arena when they were approached bySteve Soboroff, then president of the LA Recreation and Parks Commission. Soboroff requested that they consider building the arena indowntown Los Angeles adjacent to the convention center. This proposal intrigued Roski and Anschutz, and soon a plan to develop the arena was devised.[22]
Months of negotiations ensued between Anschutz and city officials, with Roski and John Semcken of Majestic Realty Co. spearheading the negotiations for the real estate developers. The negotiations grew contentious at times and the real estate developers threatened to pull out altogether on more than one occasion.[22] The main opposition came from CouncilmanJoel Wachs, who opposed utilizing public funds to subsidize the proposed project,[21][25] and councilwomanRita Walters, who objected to parts of it.[26]
Ultimately, the developers and city leaders reached an agreement, and in 1997, construction broke ground on the new building, which opened two years later. It was financed privately at a cost of US$375 million and was named for the office-supply companyStaples, Inc., which was one of the center's corporate sponsors that paid for naming rights.[6] Staples' 20-year naming rights deal was renewed in 2009.[27] The arena opened on October 17, 1999, with aBruce Springsteen & TheE Street Band concert as its inaugural event.[28]
On October 21, 2009, the arena celebrated its tenth anniversary.[29] To commemorate the occasion, the venue's official web site nominated 25 of the arena's greatest moments from its first ten years with fans voting on the top ten.[30][31]
TheLos Angeles Avengers of theArena Football League (AFL) and theSouth Bay Lakers of theNBA G League were also tenants of Staples Center; the Avengers folded in 2009, and the D-Fenders moved to the Lakers' practice facility at theToyota Sports Center inEl Segundo, California for the 2011–12 season.[6]
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During the 2010 NBA and NHL offseason, the arena was renovated with refurbished locker rooms for the Lakers, Kings, and Clippers, and the installation of a newUS$10 millionHD center-hung video scoreboard andjumbotron, replacing the original one that had been in place since the building opened in 1999.[32] ThePanasonic Live 4HD scoreboard was officially unveiled on September 22, 2010, as AEG and Staples Center executives, as well as player representatives from the Lakers (Sasha Vujacic), Clippers (Craig Smith), and Kings (Matt Greene) were on hand for the presentation.
On January 15, 2018, in the aftermath of an NBA basketball game between theHouston Rockets and theLos Angeles Clippers, point guardChris Paul utilized a secret tunnel (connecting the away team's locker room to the backdoor of the Clippers locker room) to confront former Clipper teammatesAustin Rivers andBlake Griffin. Paul was joined by teammatesTrevor Ariza,James Harden, andGerald Green to confront the opponents, which only resulted in verbal altercations.[33]
Following the death ofKobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and seven others in ahelicopter crash in January 2020, a number of media outlets picked up on a phrase used by some, referring to the arena as "The House That Kobe Built", due to his historic 20-year career with the Lakers.[34][35] On August 24, 2020, Los Angeles City Council presidentHerb Wesson announced a proposal to rename the stretch of Figueroa Street around Staples Center to "Kobe Bryant Boulevard".[36]
In September 2021, the Clippers broke ground on a new arena inInglewood, California, known asIntuit Dome, which became its new home arena in 2024.[37][38]
On November 16, 2021, it was announced that the naming rights to Staples Center had been acquired by Singapore-basedcryptocurrency exchangeCrypto.com, renaming it Crypto.com Arena effective December 25, 2021 (with the changeover coinciding with the Lakers' nationally televisedChristmas Day game). The deal was reported to be valued at $700 million over 20 years, in comparison to the $116 million paid by Staples under its previous 20-year agreement—making it the most valuable naming rights contract in all of sports.[39][27] The name change wasmet with opposition and many fans still refer to this arena as Staples Center.[40] Former Lakers starShaquille O'Neal stated on his podcast that he was "glad" that the arena's name had been changed, as he felt that "Staples Center belongs to Shaq and Kobe forever."[41]
In 2022, the arena began to undergo a multi-phase renovation, expected to be completed in 2024; the first phase over the 2022 NBA and NHL offseason included new video boards and ribbon displays, and updated concessions. There are plans for the City View Terrace to be converted into an indoor outdoor deck, a new area known as the Tunnel Club, Chick Hearn Court to be converted into a pedestrian plaza between the arena and the rest of L.A. Live, and updated player facilities such as locker rooms.[42]
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band were the first act to perform at the venue on its opening in 1999.Dave Matthews Band famously played the venue twice in 2008, despite the first show being the day of founding member and saxophonistLeRoi Moore's death.[43]
After the American singerMichael Jackson died in 2009,a televised memorial service was held at the arena. Its operator, AEG, had promoted theThis Is It concert residency that Jackson had been scheduled to perform atThe O2 Arena in London.[44] Jackson had been rehearsing at the arena in the weeks prior to his death; he last had rehearsed there approximately 12 hours before his death (on the same day).
It hosted the1st Annual Latin Grammy Awards in 2000 and the2012 MTV Video Music Awards.[45] In 2011,Jenni Rivera became the first femaleregional Mexican musician to perform a sell-out at the arena.[46]
Taylor Swift has performed 16 sellouts at Crypto.com Arena—the most of any performer at the venue.[47] On August 21, 2015, prior to one of her performances on the1989 World Tour, Kobe Bryant presented Swift with a banner commemorating this achievement, which was hung in the arena's rafters. The Taylor Swift banner, however, became the subject of acurse among Lakers and Kings fans, who suspected that the banner was contributing to their teams' respective playoff droughts. Eventually, the Kings began to hide the Taylor Swift banner during home games, and the banner was taken down entirely in December 2020.[48][47]
Mexican musiciansGloria Trevi andAlejandra Guzmán played two sellout shows at the arena in 2017.[49] RapperNipsey Hussle's memorial service was held at the venue on April 11, 2019.[50] As part ofSuper Bowl LVI festivities, the arena hosted the "Super Bowl Music Fest" in February 2022, headlined byHalsey,Machine Gun Kelly,Blake Shelton andGwen Stefani,Miley Cyrus, andGreen Day.[51]
The annualGrammy Awards ceremony has been held at Crypto.com Arena since2000, with the exception of 2003, 2018, 2021 and 2022. As of 2025, the venue has hosted the Grammy Awards22 times, hosting more than any other venue in the history of the Grammy Awards.
The arena hosted the concert portion of the U.S. legs ofKCON 2022 and 2024, held from 20–21 August 2022 and 26–28 July 2024, respectively.
The venue opened in 1999 as the home of theLos Angeles Lakers andLos Angeles Clippers (NBA), andLos Angeles Kings of the NHL. TheLos Angeles Sparks of the WNBA joined in 2001, while theLos Angeles D-Fenders of the NBA D-League joined in 2006. It became home to theLos Angeles Avengers of the Arena Football League in 2000 until the team's discontinuation in 2009.[52]
On June 21, 2003, the arena hosted the boxing eventLennox Lewis vs. Vitali Klitschko, which wasLennox Lewis' final title defense before retiring. Klitschko was leading on the scorecards however the fight ended as a 6th-roundTKO due to a sustained cut over Klitschko's eye.
Since its opening day, the arena has hosted sevenNBA Finals series with the Lakers, the2012 and2014 Stanley Cup Finals, threeWNBA Finals, the 2002U.S. Figure Skating Championships, the52nd and62nd NHL All-Star game, threeNBA All-Star Games (2004,2011 and2018), thePac-10 Conference men's basketball tournament (2002–12), theWTA Tour Championships (2002–05),UFC 60 in 2006,UFC 104 in 2009,UFC 184 in 2015,UFC 227 in 2018, the2009 World Figure Skating Championships, theSummer X Games indoor competitions (2003–13), and severalHBO Championship Boxing matches.[7][53]
On January 22, 2006, Los Angeles Lakers playerKobe Bryant scored a career-high 81 points in the Crypto.com Arena against theToronto Raptors, thesecond-highest number of points scored in a single game in NBA history,[54] second only toWilt Chamberlain's100-point performance. Of the team's six NBA championships since moving to the venue, the Lakers have celebrated their2000 and2010 victories at Crypto.com Arena with series-winning victories at home.
Prior to the2006–07 NBA season, the lighting inside the arena was modified for Lakers games. The lights were focused only on the court itself (hence the promotionalLights Out campaign), reminiscent of the Lakers' early years atThe Forum. The initial fan reaction was positive and has been a fixture on home games since.[55] TheDaktronics see-through shot clock was first installed prior to the2008–09 NBA season.[citation needed] The Clippers adopted the new see-through shot clock prior to the2010–11 NBA season.[citation needed] For Sparks games, the court used is named after Sparks playerLisa Leslie, and was officially named prior to the 2009 home opener against theShock on June 23, 2006.[56]
The Los Angeles Kings hosted the2010 NHL Entry Draft at the arena in June 2010. In 2012, the Clippers, Kings, and Lakers all advanced to their leagues' respective playoffs,[57] with the Kings ultimately playing their firstStanley Cup Finals at the arena; on June 11, the Kings defeated theNew Jersey Devils in Game 6 to win their first Stanley Cup in franchise history.[58]
The Lakers unveiled a new hardwood court before their preseason game on October 13, 2012. Taking a cue fromsoccer clubs, the primary center court logo was adorned with 16 stars, representing the first 16 championships the Lakers franchise had won.[59] A 17th star was added to the court and unveiled before their regular season opener on December 22, 2020, to represent the franchise winning its 17th championship in the2020 NBA Finals.[60]
Crypto.com Arena has hosted the following championship events:
In 2018, the arena hostedMonster Jam for the first time. In 2019, the PBRUnleash the Beast Series hosted its Iron Cowboy event at the arena, marking the firstPBR event to be held there.[62] On June 9, 2019, theACE Family hosted a charity basketball game against singerChris Brown.[citation needed]
On November 9, 2019, the arena hostedKSI vs. Logan Paul II, a boxing event headlined by a rematch between the twoYouTubers.[citation needed] On November 28, 2020, the arena hosted the boxing eventMike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr.[63]
On April 14, 2024, the Clippers played their final regular season home game at the arena, against theHouston Rockets, losing 116–105. On May 1, 2024, the Clippers played their final playoff home game at the arena, against theDallas Mavericks in the first round of theplayoffs, losing 123–93.
Crypto.com Arena is expected to hostgymnastics during the2028 Summer Olympics.[64] PerIOC rules, the venue must be referred to under a generic name for the duration of the Games.[65]
In2013 and2016, the arena hosted the finals of theLeague of Legends World Championship.[66]
Along with hosting many episodes ofRaw andSmackDown, such as the latter's20th anniversary season premiere on October 4, 2019, Crypto.com Arena has also hosted the following WWE pay-per-views:
A broadcast ofWCW Monday Nitro was held at the arena on January 24, 2000.
The arena hostedSmackDown and the 2023WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony on March 31 as well asNXT Stand & Deliver on April 1 andRaw on April 3, as part ofWrestleMania 39 weekend.[67]
The arena hostedAll Elite Wrestling (AEW)'sRevolution pay-per-view on March 9, 2025, marking the first time the venue has hosted a non-WWE pro wrestling event in over 25 years.
The2000 Democratic National Convention was held at the venue.[68][69]
The arena has hosted three public memorials for celebrities.
First, it was for thememorial of musician Michael Jackson following hisdeath on June 25, 2009. The memorial took place on July 7, 2009. It included eulogies or performances fromSmokey Robinson,Mariah Carey,Macaulay Culkin,Trey Lorenz,Queen Latifah,Lionel Richie,John Mayer,Stevie Wonder,Kobe Bryant,Magic Johnson,Jennifer Hudson,Berry Gordy,Rev. Jesse Jackson,Rev. Al Sharpton,Brooke Shields,Martin Luther King III,Bernice King,Sheila Jackson-Lee,Usher,Shaheen Jafargholi,Kenny Ortega,Judith Hill,Orianthi Panagaris, his siblingsMarlon,Jermaine, andJanet, and his daughterParis.[70]
In 2019, a memorial took place at the arena for rapperNipsey Hussle following his death on March 31, 2019. The memorial service took place on April 11, 2019. Attendees and performers included rapperYG,Stevie Wonder who sang "Tears in Heaven", his wifeLauren London,Jhené Aiko,Anthony Anderson,Marsha Ambrosius andSnoop Dogg who gave a eulogy. A hurst procession after the service followed through variousSouth Los Angeles communities.[71][72]
In 2020, it served as the location for the public memorial of basketball playerKobe Bryant following the death of him and his daughter Gianna, among others, in the2020 Calabasas helicopter crash. It took place on February 24 (2/24, a reference to Gianna's and Kobe's basketball numbers) 2020. It included eulogies from his wife Vanessa,Shaquille O'Neal,Michael Jordan,Rob Pelinka,Diana Taurasi, andSabrina Ionescu.[73]
Staples Center was named Best Major Concert Venue for 1998 and Arena of the Year for 1999, 2000 and 2001 byPollstar Magazine and has been nominated each year since 2000.[7] In February 2013,PETA named the arena the most "vegetarian-friendly" arena in the NBA.[74]
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| Events and tenants | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Home of the Los Angeles Kings 1999–present | Succeeded by current |
| Preceded by | Home of theLos Angeles Lakers 1999–present | Succeeded by current |
| Preceded by | Home of theLos Angeles Clippers 1999–2024 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by first arena | Home of theLos Angeles Avengers 2000–2008 | Succeeded by final venue |
| Preceded by | Home of theLos Angeles Sparks 2001–present | Succeeded by current |
| Preceded by | Venues of theNHL All-Star Game 2002 2017 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | WTA Tour Championships venues 2002–2005 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Venues of theNBA All-Star Game 2004 2011 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Host ofWrestleMania 2005 (21) | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Venues of theMTV Video Music Awards 2012 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Permanent venue of WWESummerSlam 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | League of Legends World Championship Final Venue 2016 | Succeeded by |
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