Staples Center renamed: Lakers say goodbye to Staples Center celebrating their glory years

The Staples Center, home arena to the Los Angeles Lakers, Clippers, Sparks, and Kings since 1999, will be getting a new 21st-century rebrand this Christmas.

The Lakers' current home court will be renamed the "Crypto.com Arena," as the result of what the Los Angeles Times reports is a $700 million naming rights deal.

Thus, the Lakers will play their final game in Staples Center as we know it tonight, against one of their most frequent rivals of the Staples Center era: the San Antonio Spurs.

Since relocating to the Staples Center from the former Great Western Forum in Inglewood, the Lakers have won six NBA titles. Their latest, in 2020, of course actually was won in a coronavirus-safe Disney World "bubble" in Orlando, Florida, but they won it.

Farewell celebrations at Staples Center

The Los Angeles team have a full schedule of events to commemorate 22 years of Staples Center glory. That includes a special opening video that will be played to celebrate their long history under that name.

They will also give out commemorative t-shirts replicating the first shirts given out at Staples back in June 2000. That shirt was after Los Angeles had won the Western Conference.

Finally, several Lakers legends will appear at the halftime celebration with trophies from previous NBA championships.

All fans attending the game will receive a special commemorative ticket

According to the New York Times, the deal with the Singapore-based cryptocurrency app is set to last for 20 years. The Lakers renewed their lease at the soon-to-be-Crytpo.com Arena earlier this year for the same duration.

The Lakers take on the Spurs at 7:30 pm. A few hours before, a banner celebrating the 22 years of Staples Center will be unfurled.

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