Los Angeles Clippers finally have occasion to hand out rings

The Clippers opened their new arena, the Intuit Dome, Thursday night with a concert by Bruno Mars. They celebrated the event with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, a red carpet, a christening of the building with a champagne bottle by head coach Ty Lue and the first rings in franchise history.

With the opening of the Intuit Dome, a state-of-the-art arena in Inglewood, the Clippers are hoping to step out of the shadow of their crosstown rivals, the Los Angeles Lakers. While sharing the Crypto.com Arena (formerly the Staples Center), the Lakers got priority in scheduling and accommodations, as did the NHL's Los Angeles Kings. That led to the Clippers playing more than 10 afternoon games each of the last two seasons, a drag for attendance and TV ratings.

The facility certainly eclipses the Lakers' 25-year-old arena in terms of aesthetic and modern amenities, but the Clippers have failed to eclipse the Lakers where it counts — with on-court success. It took the Clips over two decades to win their first playoff series in L.A and when they became respectable, the "Lob City" teams with Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan never got past the second round and the Clippers' best chance at a title fell short when the Denver Nuggets upset them in 2020. To add insult to injury, the Lakers won it all that season.

So handing out rings, not for a title, but for a building, fits the Clippers' brand as the Lakers' little brothers. It's a sign of the franchise's earnestness and willingness to spend under billionaire owner Steve Ballmer, whose enthusiasm can get embarrassing. Like when Ballmer yells excitedly about the Intuit Dome's toilets.

Ironically, the rings came after a summer that put the Clippers further from title contention than they've been in years. Franchise cornerstone Paul George left for the Philadelphia 76ers, while their biggest additions were Derrick Jones Jr. and 35-year-old Nic Batum. The Clippers are encumbered by the NBA's new, punishing salary rules and trades that cost them many of their future first-round picks. They still owe Oklahoma City two more first-rounders from the original trade that brought in George, after all.

It's a nice gesture to celebrate what looks to be a spectacular new building. But the Intuit Dome rings may be the only rings the Clippers see for quite some time.