Crypto.com Arena facts for kids
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The arena as seen in 2012
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 Crypto.com Arena
Location in the Los Angeles metropolitan area
Crypto.com Arena
Location in California
Crypto.com Arena
Location in the United States
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| Address | 1111 South Figueroa Street |
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| Location | Los Angeles, California |
| Coordinates | 34°02′35″N 118°16′02″W / 34.04306°N 118.26722°W |
| Public transit |  Pico |
| Owner | Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) |
| Capacity | Basketball: 19,079 Ice hockey: 18,230 Arena football: 16,096 Concerts: 10,000–13,000 Boxing/Wrestling: 21,000 Concert theatre: 8,000 |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | March 31, 1997 |
| Opened | October 17, 1999 |
| Construction cost | US$375 million (US$659 million in 2022 dollars ) |
| Architect | NBBJ |
| Structural engineer | John A Martin & Associates |
| Services engineer | M-E Engineers Inc. |
| General contractor | PCL Construction Services, Inc. |
| Tenants | |
| Los Angeles Kings (NHL) (1999–present) Los Angeles Lakers (NBA) (1999–present) Los Angeles Clippers (NBA) (1999–present) Los Angeles Avengers (AFL) (2000–2008) Los Angeles D-Fenders (NBA D-League) (2006–2010) Los Angeles Sparks (WNBA) (2001–present) |
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The Crypto.com Arena, once known as Staples Center, is a huge building in Downtown Los Angeles. It's a place where many different events happen, like sports games and concerts. It opened its doors on October 17, 1999.
This arena is home to several famous sports teams. These include the Los Angeles Kings (ice hockey), the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers (basketball), and the Los Angeles Sparks (women's basketball). It used to host the Los Angeles Avengers (arena football) and the Los Angeles D-Fenders (basketball G League) too.
Crypto.com Arena is special because it's the only arena in the NBA that two teams share. It's also one of only three major sports venues in North America to host two teams from the same league. The arena hosts over 250 events and welcomes nearly 4 million visitors every year! It's also where the famous Grammy Awards ceremony often takes place. Looking ahead, it will host the basketball games during the 2028 Summer Olympics.
In 2020, a street near the arena was renamed Kobe Bryant Boulevard. This was done to honor the legendary Lakers player Kobe Bryant, who sadly passed away that year.
Contents
About Crypto.com Arena
What's Inside?
Crypto.com Arena is a massive building, covering about 950,000 square feet. It stands 150 feet tall. The main floor is 94 feet by 200 feet. It can hold different numbers of people depending on the event:
- Up to 19,067 for basketball games.
- 18,340 for ice hockey games.
- Around 20,000 for concerts or other big sports events.
Most of the seats are in the lower part of the arena. There are also 160 special luxury suites for groups, located between the lower and upper seating areas. The record for the most people at an event here was 20,820, for a boxing match in 2009.
Star Plaza Statues
Outside the arena, there's a special area called Star Plaza. Here, you can find statues honoring famous Los Angeles athletes and sports broadcasters. These statues celebrate their amazing careers and contributions to sports.
| Name | Sport | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wayne Gretzky | Ice hockey | October 9, 2002 | Played for the Los Angeles Kings |
| Magic Johnson | Basketball | February 11, 2004 | Played for the Los Angeles Lakers |
| Oscar De La Hoya | Boxing | December 1, 2008 | A famous boxer from East Los Angeles |
| Chick Hearn | Basketball | April 20, 2010 | Long-time Lakers announcer |
| Jerry West | Basketball | February 17, 2011 | Played and coached for the Lakers |
| Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | Basketball | November 16, 2012 | Played for the Lakers |
| Luc Robitaille | Ice hockey | March 7, 2015 | Played for the Kings |
| Shaquille O'Neal | Basketball | March 24, 2017 | Played for the Lakers |
| Bob Miller | Ice hockey | January 13, 2018 | Long-time Kings announcer |
| Elgin Baylor | Basketball | April 6, 2018 | Played for the Lakers |
A statue for Los Angeles Sparks player Lisa Leslie is also planned for the future.
In 2018, after an NBA game, there was a funny incident involving a "secret tunnel." Basketball player Chris Paul and some teammates used this tunnel to try and talk to former teammates in the Clippers' locker room. It ended up being just a lot of talking, nothing serious!
Arena History
The idea for the arena almost didn't happen! The owners of the Los Angeles Kings hockey team, Edward P. Roski and Philip Anschutz, were looking for a new home for their team. They were convinced to build the arena in downtown Los Angeles, next to the convention center.
After many talks, the city leaders and developers agreed. Construction began in 1997, and the arena opened two years later. It cost $375 million to build. It was originally named Staples Center because the office-supply company Staples, Inc. paid for the naming rights.
On October 21, 2009, the arena celebrated its 10th birthday. Fans voted on their favorite moments from the first ten years. In 2010, the arena got some cool upgrades, including new locker rooms and a huge, high-definition video scoreboard.
After the sad passing of basketball legend Kobe Bryant in 2020, many people started calling the arena "The House That Kobe Built." This was because of his amazing 20-year career with the Lakers, all spent playing in this arena.
On December 25, 2021, the arena's name officially changed to Crypto.com Arena. This happened because a cryptocurrency company called Crypto.com bought the naming rights in a big deal.
Exciting Events
Music Concerts
The very first event at the arena was a concert by Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band in 1999. Many famous musicians have performed here.
- The Michael Jackson memorial service was held here in 2009.
- Rapper Nipsey Hussle's memorial service also took place at the venue in 2019.
- The arena has hosted the 1st Annual Latin Grammy Awards in 2000 and the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards.
Taylor Swift has performed more sold-out shows at Crypto.com Arena than any other artist – 16 times! In 2015, Kobe Bryant even gave her a special banner to celebrate this, which was hung in the arena. However, some Lakers and Kings fans jokingly blamed the banner for their teams' bad luck, calling it a "curse." The banner was eventually taken down in 2020.
Grammy Awards
The annual Grammy Awards ceremony, which celebrates the best in music, has been held at Crypto.com Arena many times since 2000. It has hosted the Grammys more than any other venue in history!
Sports Action
Crypto.com Arena has been the home for many professional sports teams since it opened in 1999. It hosts NBA, NHL, and WNBA games.
The arena has seen many exciting championship events:
- Seven NBA Finals series with the Lakers.
- Two Stanley Cup Finals with the Kings.
- Three WNBA Finals.
- It has also hosted major events like the NBA All-Star Game three times, the NHL All-Star Game twice, and many boxing and mixed martial arts (UFC) fights.
On January 22, 2006, Lakers star Kobe Bryant scored an incredible 81 points in a game against the Toronto Raptors. This is the second-highest number of points ever scored by a player in a single NBA game! The Lakers also won two of their NBA championships (in 2000 and 2010) right here at home.
Before the 2006-07 NBA season, the arena changed its lighting for Lakers games. Now, only the court is brightly lit, making the games feel more exciting.
In 2012, the Los Angeles Kings won their first-ever Stanley Cup championship right here at home! They won again in 2014. That same year, all three of the arena's main teams (Lakers, Clippers, and Kings) made it to the playoffs, which was a first for the arena.
The Lakers updated their court in 2012, adding stars to the center logo to show how many championships the team had won. They added a 17th star in 2020 after winning another championship!
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Championship Events
Crypto.com Arena has hosted these big championship moments:
- NBA Finals:
- 2000: The Lakers won their 12th championship at home against the Indiana Pacers.
- 2010: The Lakers won their 16th championship at home against the Boston Celtics.
- Stanley Cup Finals:
- 2012: The Kings won their first Stanley Cup at home against the New Jersey Devils.
- 2014: The Kings won their second Stanley Cup at home against the New York Rangers.
On February 24, 2020, the arena hosted a special event to celebrate the lives of Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna.
2028 Summer Olympics
Crypto.com Arena is set to host the basketball competitions during the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. During the Olympics, it will be called by a different, general name.
Esports and Wrestling
The arena has also hosted major Esports events, like the finals of the League of Legends World Championship in 2013 and 2016.
It's a popular spot for professional wrestling, too! Many episodes of WWE Raw and WWE SmackDown have been held here, along with big pay-per-view events like WrestleMania 21 and several SummerSlam events.
Other Events
The 2000 Democratic National Convention, a major political meeting, was also held at the venue.
Awards and Recognitions
Crypto.com Arena has won awards for being a top concert venue and "Arena of the Year" multiple times. In 2013, PETA even named it the most "vegetarian-friendly" arena in the NBA!
L.A. Live
Crypto.com Arena is part of a huge entertainment complex called L.A. Live. This area, which started being built in 2005, includes restaurants, shops, and places to live, making downtown Los Angeles a lively spot for entertainment.
Images for kids
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The arena in 2012
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The arena at night
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The arena as seen from Microsoft Square
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The arena in 2002
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Satellite view of the arena prior to the L.A. Live development. Notice the lack of solar panels on the roof
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The arena during a Los Angeles Kings game
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The red carpet under the tent leading to the arena for the 54th Grammy Awards
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Inside the arena during a Los Angeles Kings game
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Inside the arena in a Los Angeles Lakers game set up
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Inside the arena before a Los Angeles Kings game
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Inside the arena before a Los Angeles Lakers game
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Inside the arena during WWE SummerSlam 2009
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Star Plaza entrance and the Kobe Bryant impromptu memorial February 2020.
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Vince Carter driving to the basket against Pau Gasol, 2010
See also
In Spanish: Crypto.com Arena para niños
