We are nearing the end of an era. The home of the Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Kings, Los Angeles Sparks and countless other events and concerts will soon be renamed from Staples Center to Crypto.com Arena.
The deal that involves the name change is the largest naming rights deal ever at $700 million over 20 years. The arena opened in 1999 and has only had the one name — until now.
The name change is not happening overnight and involves a lot of work on the arena. The process began on Monday when the Staples logo started being removed from the exterior of the building, according to CBS Los Angeles.
The name change will go official on Christmas Day but the new signage on the outside the arena is not expected to be up until next June, CBS Los Angeles reported.
Here’s a look at the Staples sign being taken down:
STAPLES Center starting to come down…End of an era. 😕
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) December 6, 2021
Staples Center signs officially removed… The end of a historic era 😢 pic.twitter.com/t6HSo7Uf5F
— LakeShowYo (@LakeShowYo) December 6, 2021
I can neither confirm nor deny if the Staples sign was taken down with a staple remover.
can’t believe they removed the staples center sign like that pic.twitter.com/PqSL3hknOE
— hipstermermaid (@hipstermermaid) December 7, 2021
The first game at the renamed arena will be on Dec. 25 when the Lakers host the Brooklyn Nets.
Since the iconic arena began housing fans, it has seen eight championship teams: two Stanley Cup wins from the Kings and six NBA titles from the Lakers. For many, the Los Angeles arena will forever known as “The House Kobe Built” no matter what the sign says out front.
