Staples Center
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| Staples Center History Even in its short lifespan, the Staples Center has become a central hub for all types of entertainment in Los Angeles, playing host to some of the biggest and sports and entertainment events of the past 10 years. Since its groundbreaking on March 31, 1998, the Staples Center, as part of the Anschultz Entertainment Group, has lived up to its name. The Staples Center is located in the greater Los Angeles area and is home to Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers, as well as the Los Angeles Kings sports franchises. Overall the Staples Center hosts around 250 events per year area at these events are seen by over 4 million people annually. The Staples Center holds around 20,000 people, the most it ever held was on January 25, 2009, when Antonio Margarito fought Shane Mosley for the world WBA welterweight championship. When the Staples Center broke ground in 1998 it was privately financed, costing $375 million Staples Center is actually named for the office-supply company Staples Incorporated, which pay for the right to name the new building. You see the first event held at the Staples Center was on October 17, 1999. The event was a Bruce Springsteen concert. Other top banner artists who have played the Center include Mariah Carey during her Rainbow World Tour, Beyonce Knowles in her Beyonce Experience Tour, Taylor Swift in her Fearless Tour, John Mayer, and others. Perhaps the most notable event including a musician, however, may not even include a real concert, as the Staples Center served as a rehearsal center for Michael Jackson for his comeback This Is It Tour, which actually never took place because of his untimely death. The Staples Center began as host only for the Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers, but as the venue became a proven ground for hosting those events, many sports would use the Center for their most prestigious events. Sporting events hosted by the Staples Center include the National Basketball Association finals a grand total of seven times, the Women's NBA finals three times, finals for the Pac 10 collegiate divisional basketball playoffs, a WTA tour championship, Ultimate Fighting pay per view events, and many of the largest World Wrestling pay per view events, including Summer Slam, Unforgiven, Judgment Day, and the largest event in professional wrestling, Wrestlemania. Before the Shane Mosley Antonio Margarito championship welterweight fight, Wrestlemania 21 held the attendance record for the Staples Center, as the event drew over 20,000 fans to the venue. To accommodate its guests, the Center includes over 150 luxury suites, 2500 club seats, and fifteen larger suites specially reserved for group events. The Center has won many awards for its ability to host these events, including New Major Concert Venue honors in 2000, and the same year, Arena of the Year awards given by Pollstar Magazine. The Center also won Arena of the Year honors in the following year. Anschutz Entertainment Group, the investment firm which owns the Staples Center, actually considers the Center only a part of a much larger conglomerate. The Los Angeles Convention Center, another large venue which hosts many premiere events, is actually connected to the Staples Center, and they continue to expand the development under the name L.A. Live. |