Staples Center (Tour) - Clio

Entries on This Tour

1. Statue of Jerry West

In 2011, basketball icon Jerry West was honored with the dedication of a bronze statue of him in the plaza of the Staples Center. West's statue is the fifth placed in the plaza since the center opened in 1999, joining the likes of Magic Johnson, Chick Hearn, Oscar De La Hoya and Wayne Gretzky.

2. Shaquille O'Neal Bronze Statue

In 2017, one of the top centers of all time was immortalized with this bronze statue outside of the arena he once played in. Shaquille O'Neal was honored with a statue of his signature two-handed slam. This statue celebrates not only the basketball talent and success O'Neal provided while in purple and gold but, also the personality he brought to the city of Los Angeles. He took the city over by storm winning MVP in 2000 and three straight championships from 2000 to 2002.

3. Statue of Earvin "Magic" Johnson

This statue of Earvin “Magic” Johnson Jr. was dedicated in 2004 and honors one of most influential athletes of the modern era. Drafted first in the 1979 NBA draft, he joined the Los Angeles Lakers, the team he would play for from 1979 to 1991. At 6 foot 9 inches, he was a formidable point guard from the first game of his professional career. Although he and the Lakers went on to win many NBA championships during his career, perhaps he is best known for the way he retired, ending his career unexpectedly in 1991 after he learned that he had contracted HIV, the virus that leads to AIDS.

4. Statue of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

This statue honors Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, one of the most influential collegiate and professional athletes in American history. Known as Lew Alcindor prior to changing his name, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar played in the NBA for twenty seasons. He began his NBA career with the Milwaukee Bucks and was later traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. Known for his civil rights activism as a college athlete and his decision to join protesting athletes in the Olympic games, young Lew Alcindor was once rejected by white basketball fans. His court performance and personality won many admirers during his twenty year professional career and he became the on-court leader of the "Showtime Lakers" of the 1980s. Abdul-Jabbar and Larry Bird of the Boston Celtics played many competitive games. Their performance and personas fueled one of the greatest team rivalries in professional sports- the rivalry between the Lakers and Celtics that became the story line of many NBA Finals in the 1980s.

This Tour is a Virtual Museum or Site Tour.

Staples Center

Created by Travis Hanson on May 29th 2016, 11:05:15 pm.

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Description

The Staples Center is a historic arena that is home to four professional sports teams: The Los Angeles Lakers, The Los Angeles Sparks, The Los Angeles Clippers, and The Los Angeles Kings. The Arena opened October 17th, 1999 and has housed many great moments in both sports and cultural history. The Staples Center has been home to everything from Kobe Bryant's 81 point performance against the Toronto Raptors in 2006 to Michael Jackson's memorial service in 2009. The Lakers, Sparks, and Kings continue to bring many championships to LA while playing in the Staples Center, and the four teams continue to make history (Both good and bad) every year. However the Lakers recently finished the 2015-2016 Season with the most losses in the Staples Center's history in one season with 65 losses in an 82 game season. The Staples Center is however still one of the most win associated stadiums in sports.

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