How El Segundo Is Attracting The NHL And The NBA

The LA Kings and the LA Lakers have both made big investments in El Segundo, and team executives see great benefits to being there.

The Lakers are building a new facility the team will move into after they move out of the one they have been sharing with the Kings.

LA Lakers chief operating officer Tim Harris said the team is excited about its new home.

"Being able to stay in the city is a win-win all the way around," Harris said.

The original plan was for the Lakers to have a training center within Staples Center, according to Harris. But the team gravitated toward El Segundo instead since a lot of their players live in the South Bay. One player in particular.

"We quickly realized Shaquille is not going to want to drive downtown at 10 a.m. on a regular basis," Harris said. "So we figured at some point we were going to need a new training center because we were going to get pushback from Shaquille in driving downtown, so the move to El Segundo was really born from Shaquille not wanting to fight the 10 Freeway."

The Lakers have a partnership with UCLA Health in El Segundo, too.

All of this comes in the midst of El Segundo celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, El Segundo Mayor Suzanne Fuentes said at the recent Bisnow Future of El Segundo event.

"It's important we build a space where our players feel like it is home," LA Kings president Luc Robitaille said.

He said many of his team's players also live nearby.

El Segundo's proximity to LAX has become a draw when pitching prospective players. For the players, who travel a great deal, an added benefit is they are five minutes from home when they land at LAX.

Harris said training facilities for players have become more like a home away from home.

"What you find is, the more time they can spend together, the better they're going to be as a team," Harris said. "What we've created for them is a second home, so when they come to the new training center, it will literally be a place where they can spend the entire day."

Continue reading this story with a free account

Log in or register
Sign up for more articles like this
Subscribe to Bisnow's Los Angeles Newsletters
Related Stories

DivcoWest Sells Glendale Office Building For $70M

Historic Brooklyn Hotel To Be Turned Into Ritz-Carlton-Branded Condos

Daniel Negari Buys Downtown LA Hotel For $34M

Stockdale Capital Partners, Hamilton Lane Acquire Chino Hills Shopping Center For $157M

California Emerging As Data Center Fallback Market Amid Nationwide Opposition

Philly Has The Fundamentals. Now It Has To Reduce The Risk Of Building

Design Plans Revealed For RFK Stadium Parking Garages, Headed To Review

Chapman Market Owners Get $29M Refinance: The Los Angeles Deal Sheet

Lineage Suing Solar Company Altus Power Over Boyle Heights Warehouse Fire

HPP, Blackstone Nab Extension On $1.1B Loan Tied To 2.2M SF Hollywood Portfolio

SpaceX Sues Texas AG, Grimes County Over Terafab Project Information

Retail Dynasty Pushes Button On Pair Of London Coliving Schemes