The Staples Center (officially written as STAPLES Center) is a multi-purpose arena in the heart of Los Angeles. It is located adjacent to the Los Angeles Convention Center along Figueroa Street. The arena opened on October 17, 1999.
The Staples Center serves as the home to the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League (NHL), the Los Angeles Lakers, and Los Angeles Clippers, both teams in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as well as the L.A. Sparks of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA). The Arena Football League’s Avengers (AFL) and the NBA D-League’s D-Fenders were also tenants of the Staples; the former ceased in 2009, and the D-Fenders moved to the Lakers’ practice facility at the Toyota Sports Center in El Segundo, California, in the 2011-12 season.
The Staples Center also hosts more than 250 events and nearly 4 million visitors each year. The attendance record at the arena is held by the fight between WBA welterweight champion Antonio Margarito and Shane Mosley, which drew a crowd of 20,820 on January 25, 2009. It is the only NBA stadium shared by two teams, as well as one of only three North American professional sports venues that houses two teams from the same league. The Staples Center is also the venue for the Grammy Awards ceremony and will host the basketball competition during the 2028 Summer Olympics. Michael Jackson’s funeral in 2009 also took place here.
The arena measures 950,000 square feet (88,257.9 m2) of total space, with a floor size of 94 feet (28.7 m) by 200 feet (61.0 m). It stands at 150 feet (45.7 m) in height. The stadium has a seating capacity of 19,067 for basketball, 18,340 for ice hockey, and around 20,000 for concerts or other sporting events. Two-thirds of the stadium’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.
Watch a video about the Staples Center
Outside the arena is the Star Plaza, where you’ll find statues of famous athletes from Los Angeles and television.
Following the unexpected death of former basketball player Kobe Bryant in January 2020, some media referred to the stadium as “The house that Kobe built,” acknowledging his historic 20-year career with the Lakers.
