“I can’t wait to get in there and get the games going,” said Derrick Jones Jr., standing in front of the Intuit Dome — a $2 billion project and the new home venue of the Los Angeles Clippers — in Inglewood, Calif.
The basketball forward was signed to the team this year, reportedly for a three-year, $30 million deal.
“It’s amazing,” he said of having the space, which was unveiled on Thursday evening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony in the 80,000-square-foot outdoor plaza followed by a sold-out Bruno Mars concert inside. “And I can’t wait to listen to some good music tonight.”
The Clippers previously played their home games at Crypto.com Arena in L.A., shared with the Lakers, Sparks and Kings, from 1999 until now.
You May Also Like
“Nobody want to share arenas with nobody. It had to happen,” he smiled, dressed in Heron Preston and Gallery Dept. with a Louis Vuitton belt bag and Nike SB Dunks. “This is my first year with the team and the first year for the dome. It’s going to be exciting. I can’t wait.”
“Hey! How you doing?” a voice interrupted. It was the man of the hour, Intuit Dome and Clippers owner Steve Ballmer. “What do you like to be called? Derrick?” he asked, before introducing his wife, Connie.
“Derrick or DJ works, too.”
“It was fun seeing you out there today. Are you enjoying yourself so far?”
As the two conversed, the arena was filling up. Jennifer Lopez, Angela Bassett, Chase Stokes with Kelsea Ballerini, Ashton Kutcher with Mila Kunis, Simu Liu, Meghan Trainor, Victoria Justice and Sophia Bush were among those headed in.
But it was a slow start to the 8 p.m. show, with scanners offline — and tickets only accessed via an app — some fans were left waiting to enter, and Mars didn’t go on until about 9:40 p.m. Though impressively, when all goes well, there’s face ID technology for easy entry and a digital wallet for purchases. And inside, all 18,000 seats have phone charging stations.
“The technology inside this place is truly mind-blowing,” said comedian and actor Paul Scheer, standing alongside his wife, fellow comedian, actress and screenwriter June Diane Raphael. The two had gotten a preview. “The future is in here. My phone has done everything so far.”
They’ve been Clippers fans since 2005, he said. “Feels like we have a home now,” Raphael added.
“And look, getting to Inglewood, not easy,” Scheer went on. “We live on the east side. But you know what, worth it. And I can’t wait to figure out some shortcuts to get here. But I know Steve Ballmer is working on traffic patterns, too. I believe in Ballmer.”
It was their date night, and they were looking forward to seeing Mars.
“What he represents is a true showman,” Scheer said. “His shows are unbelievable. And if we are right in understanding what tonight will be, it will be one of those shows people talk about.”
They had heard the rumor going around that Lady Gaga would be joining Mars onstage — a rumor that ended up being true. Gaga, who released a new single with Mars that day, “Die With a Smile,” surprised the crowd during the encore.
“How you feeling L.A.?” she shouted, nearly unrecognizable channeling a new persona for the project. Her blond hair was sky-high and she was wearing opaque-colored tights and ‘60s-inspired ensembles.
“You guys are going to be the first to hear us play this song live,” Mars said before the duet, in a cowboy hat and Amiri button-up shirt. He wore Amiri all night, as did his band, sporting various colorful embroidered silk and cotton shirts with baggy slacks.
“You know I’m going to be dancing,” Bozoma Saint John — former chief marketing officer of Netflix and newest “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” cast member — had said earlier, anticipating the show. She was standing out in a purple sequin LaQuan Smith dress and gold accessories, a Chanel bag and Tom Ford heels.
“It’s for Bruno Mars, too, 24 karats,” she laughed, referencing his hit “24K Magic.”
Mars, a 15-time Grammy Award-winner, opened the show with the single, before saying it had been six years since he last played in L.A. He brought nonstop energy all night, singing, dancing, playing guitar and piano. (There was a pause at one point, as he noticed a fan needing medical attention — but the show went on.)
“I got a feeling we’re gonna sweat a little more tonight…Get your pictures,” he said early on, taking a playful pose. “And just maybe you put your phones away and dance with the hooligans tonight.”
