Kori Ellis
07-07-2005, 08:31 PM
Clippers plan to construct elite practice facility
Associated Press
National Basketball Association News Wire
LOS ANGELES -- The Clippers have made significant strides in recent years to shed a reputation as one of the least successful franchises in professional sports.
They took another Thursday, announcing they have purchased two acres of prime land where they plan to build a state-of-the-art practice facility.
"This is a great day for the Clippers," executive vice president Andy Roeser said at a news conference. "We couldn't be happier to have found this site. I just look at it as another step in the right direction for us.
"Before training camp, we'll be putting a shovel in the ground. We will open on Sept. 1, 2006."
Roeser said the $20 million project located 17 miles from the Staples Center and four miles from Los Angeles International Airport has been in the works for some time.
When Clippers owner Donald T. Sterling hired Mike Dunleavy as coach two years ago, he promised the team would build a practice facility.
Roeser said that would have happened in any case, and called Sterling the driving force.
The Clippers have failed to make the playoffs for eight straight years, but they have shown promise in recent seasons. They were 37-45 last season, finishing three games ahead of the Lakers.
With a proven coach in Dunleavy and a nucleus of young players like Elton Brand, Corey Maggette, Chris Kaman and Shaun Livingston, their future appears bright.
The Clippers are one of the few teams that doesn't own a practice facility. Theirs will include two full basketball courts, executive offices, digital-video center and a weight room of 35,000 square feet.
The site is located in Playa Vista, a 1,087-acre upscale property between Marina del Rey and Westchester where about 4,000 residents live, including two Clippers players -- Maggette and Chris Wilcox.
The Clippers have practiced at a variety of sites in the area, most recently at a health club in El Segundo, where they'll practice again next season.
Associated Press
National Basketball Association News Wire
LOS ANGELES -- The Clippers have made significant strides in recent years to shed a reputation as one of the least successful franchises in professional sports.
They took another Thursday, announcing they have purchased two acres of prime land where they plan to build a state-of-the-art practice facility.
"This is a great day for the Clippers," executive vice president Andy Roeser said at a news conference. "We couldn't be happier to have found this site. I just look at it as another step in the right direction for us.
"Before training camp, we'll be putting a shovel in the ground. We will open on Sept. 1, 2006."
Roeser said the $20 million project located 17 miles from the Staples Center and four miles from Los Angeles International Airport has been in the works for some time.
When Clippers owner Donald T. Sterling hired Mike Dunleavy as coach two years ago, he promised the team would build a practice facility.
Roeser said that would have happened in any case, and called Sterling the driving force.
The Clippers have failed to make the playoffs for eight straight years, but they have shown promise in recent seasons. They were 37-45 last season, finishing three games ahead of the Lakers.
With a proven coach in Dunleavy and a nucleus of young players like Elton Brand, Corey Maggette, Chris Kaman and Shaun Livingston, their future appears bright.
The Clippers are one of the few teams that doesn't own a practice facility. Theirs will include two full basketball courts, executive offices, digital-video center and a weight room of 35,000 square feet.
The site is located in Playa Vista, a 1,087-acre upscale property between Marina del Rey and Westchester where about 4,000 residents live, including two Clippers players -- Maggette and Chris Wilcox.
The Clippers have practiced at a variety of sites in the area, most recently at a health club in El Segundo, where they'll practice again next season.