ABOUT THE CLIPPERS’ MOVE

Q: HOW LONG IS THE STAPLES ARENA CONTRACT?

A: Six years with an escape clause after three.

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Q: WHAT ARE THE POSITIVES OF THE DEAL FOR THE CLIPPERS?

A: They will be in the center of the city on equal footing with the Lakers. Staples Center may actually be a deciding factor in attracting some players who might finally feel that playing for the Clippers actually means playing in L.A. The shiny new arena should also attract more fans. And, a slight increase in rent will be offset by a share of luxury-box revenue, parking, concessions and advertising signage.

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Q: WHAT ARE THE NEGATIVES FOR THE CLIPPERS?

A: They will be third in the pecking order for playing dates behind the Kings and Lakers, and will look worse than ever in comparison to the Lakers if they don’t put together a competitive team.

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Q: WHO PUSHED FOR THE DEAL?

A: Both sides. Staples Center owners, which include Philip Anschutz, Edward Roski and the Fox Group, wanted 41 more dates filled up and wanted to keep Sterling from going to the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim, where he would have been under Disney’s wing and might have signed a cable broadcast deal with Disney’s ESPN when his current deal with Fox runs out in three years. Clipper owner Donald Sterling wanted to be in downtown L.A.

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Q: WHY WOULD STERLING DO THIS WHEN HE HAD BETTER OPPORTUNITIES AT THE POND?

A: To him, being in L.A. is everything.

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Q: WILL THE CLIPPERS CONTINUE TO PLAY AT THE POND?

A. They have four years remaining on a five-year contract signed with Ogden to play a minimum of six regular-season games at the Pond. They will play nine games there in the 1998-99 season.

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Q: WHY WOULD JERRY BUSS PERMIT IT?

A: As a Staples Center tenant himself, he had no say.

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Q: HOW FAST WILL FACILITY BE ABLE TO CHANGE FROM BASKETBALL TO HOCKEY OR VICE VERSA?

A: Officials say they can convert the arena from basketball to hockey--and vice versa--in 2 1/2 hours.

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Q: WILL CLIPPERS’ LOCKER ROOM BE AS LARGE AS THE LAKERS AND KINGS?

A: Each team will have its own locker room. The Kings’ room is expected to be bigger because a hockey team has more players, but the locker rooms of the Lakers and Clippers will be similar.

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Q: WHEN LAKERS PLAY THE CLIPPERS, WHO IS THE HOME TEAM?

A: They will alternate depending on whose turn it is to be the home team, according to the NBA schedule.