The LA Clippers are returning to a bit of their San Diego roots with the recently announced relocation of their G League team to the new Frontwave Arena in Oceanside.
They are the second key sports team to announce an affiliation with the venue, which is set to open in September. The San Diego Sockers, an indoor soccer team with a history in San Diego dating back to the 1970s, will also play at Frontwave Arena.
Rebranded as the San Diego Clippers, the minor-league team is set to play its inaugural season at the arena for 2024-25. The team has been based in Ontario, where it will finish its current season.
“We are proud to re-introduce the San Diego Clippers into this passionate sports market,” Gillian Zucker, Halo Sports and Entertainment CEO, said in a March 11 news release. “Our G League team is a critical part of our business and basketball operation, and we are thrilled to be relocating to the new Frontwave Arena next season.”
The NBA Clippers played in San Diego from 1978 to 1984, when they relocated to Los Angeles.
“I’m thrilled to welcome fans in San Diego and the Oceanside community to the G League, which has truly never been more impactful to NBA teams than it is today,” NBA G League President Shareef Abdur-Rahim said in the news release. “Bringing the Clippers G League team to Frontwave Arena through this unique partnership is exciting not only for the basketball diehards in the area, but for the players and coaches who will be able to develop their NBA-caliber skills each day.”
Halo Sports and Entertainment, the new umbrella brand under which LA Clippers owner and former Microsoft CEO Steve Balmer is shifting his entertainment holdings, will partner with Frontwave Arena to run the G League San Diego Clippers’ business operations, according to the news release. Lawrence Frank, LA Clippers president of basketball operations, will continue to oversee both teams’ operations.
“We are excited to show off our new home Frontwave Arena and welcome the San Diego Clippers next season,” Frontwave Arena co-founder and CEO Josh Elias said in the news release. “Working with a world class organization like the Clippers and people like Steve Ballmer and Gillian Zucker to create a new home to showcase their commitment both on and off the basketball court is a slam dunk.”
The 7,500-capacity arena is expected to open this summer and will hold concerts, comedy shows, community events and other sporting events, in addition to the Clippers and Sockers.