Clippers brass gathers in support of proposed Inglewood arena

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (KABC) -- The next step in building a new home for the Los Angeles Clippers took place on Tuesday, when several important members of the team's brass gathered in a vacant Inglewood lot not far from the proposed site of a new arena.

Owner Steve Ballmer, coach Doc Rivers and consultant Jerry West were among those who stood in the patch of dirt to support Assembly Bill 987, which would streamline the process of getting an arena built without skirting around environmental requirements.

"This is not a complicated thing we're talking about,' Ballmer said. "I want to build a house in Inglewood. It's about that simple."

The defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors, as well as the Sacramento Kings, had similar bills passed for their new arenas.

"I look at this as an opportunity for us, the L.A. Clippers, to call a place home, and Inglewood will be our home," Rivers said. "So when we say we're going back home, we can say we're going back to Inglewood."

RELATED: Inglewood residents speak out against proposed Clippers arena

There is, however, some opposition to the possibility of another professional sports arena being built in the area -- the new home stadium of the Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers is expected to open in 2020.

Specifically, the Inglewood community has expressed concerns about traffic and the potential displacement of residents.

The Clippers currently play home games at Staples Center, but their lease at the downtown Los Angeles arena expires in 2024.