Staples Center changes from basketball to hockey in time-lapse video

Ever wonder how Staples Center switches from a Lakers basketball court to a Kings hockey rink? If so, wonder no more.

You can see it all happen in the above time-lapse video shot by Jason Neubert. Some facts:

It takes two to three hours for the conversion to take place.

Ever wonder why it’s always so cold in Staples Center during Lakers games? As you can see from the video, the basketball court is removed one panel at a time, exposing the ice, which is already in place beneath the court.

The temperature inside Staples Center for Lakers or Clippers games is 75 degrees. For Kings games, it is 65 degrees.

In a typical year, there can be up to eight basketball-hockey doubleheaders during a season.

How the conversion takes place:

1. The arena is cleaned. Maple flooring, baskets, ads, team benches, court-side seats and scorers’ tables are removed.

2. Hydraulic seats are lowered and all non-stationary seats are removed.

3. Overlay sheets are removed. Rewiring is done for hockey.

4. Corner dasherboards are replaced. Plexiglas is placed on dasherboards and cleaned. Zambonis clean the ice.

To help speed up the conversion process, two storage areas are used. All running machines and furniture can enter from one passageway and leave through another.

ALSO:

Angels are no match for Yankees

Tim Tebow gets booed by New York Yankees fans

New Dodgers owners seek to include family of Jackie Robinson

Time-lapse video: Staples Center changes from basketball to hockey