Staples Center, the famous arena in downtown Los Angeles will be known as Crypto.com beginning Christmas Day. Also on that day, the Lakers will host the Brooklyn Nets in the NBA’s annual Christmas slate.
Shaq, one of the biggest figures to play in the building, spoke on the name change on his The Big Podcast with Shaq and is in approval of the change as Staples belongs to him and Kobe Bryant.
“It was a blessing to be able to play in that building, to play in front of my favorite actors and actresses, to play in front of my family,” Shaq said. I’m glad they’re taking the name of the Staples Center down, because that was our building. … Congratulations to the owners for getting a new deal, but hey, the Staples Center belong to Shaq and Kobe, forever.”
Crypto.com is paying a reported $700 million over 20 years for the rights to name the building.
Crypto.com is a cryptocurrency platform and exchange headquartered in Singapore and has already dabbled in sports spending in the last year, buying batches on the Philadelphia 76ers jerseys and other sponsorship deals.
“It’s kind of like just stripping the history here by calling it something else,” said Clipper star Paul George.
Reggie Jackson would echo the sentiments. “[The Lakers] have their history here, Kobe, especially my era, growing up, watching those championships. Shaq [O’Neal]. Nah, it’s too many memories. It’s gonna be hard to not call it Staples.”
