LOS ANGELES -- When the basketball world converged on Los Angeles for NBA All-Star Weekend in February, Stephen Curry, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Kyrie Irving were among a group of 35 players who participated in a brainstorming session about the possibility of opening a players-only training facility in the city.
For years, hundreds of NBA players have trained in Los Angeles during the offseason. While the Southern California sunshine and lifestyle were appealing, players were forced to crisscross the city and its sprawling suburbs in search of available court time and weight training facilities to prepare for the upcoming season.
The players, who were accustomed to using all-in-one training centers during the season, concluded that a centralized hub in Los Angeles could foster higher-level scrimmages and reduce some of the logistical headaches.
"Nothing is harder than getting NBA players all on the same schedule, especially if there's different places involved," Oklahoma City Thunder big man Chet Holmgren said. "It just becomes a mess. The last couple years I've been out here [in Los Angeles], it's hard to get in some summer runs. I would go work out on a court in one place, then go to another place to do weights, and then go to another place for recovery. It's all just wasted time you can't get back."
After prompting from its members, who compiled suggestions on sticky notes and a whiteboard during the All-Star Weekend meetings, the National Basketball Players Association opened the PLYRS UNTD Performance Center in Playa Vista this week. The $50 million facility, which covers 42,500 square feet, was previously used as a practice facility by the LA Clippers, who moved their operations to the Intuit Dome in Inglewood in 2024.
The $50 million PLYRS UNTD Performance Center in Los Angeles covers 42,500 square feet and was previously used as a practice facility by the LA Clippers. PLYRS UNTD Houston Rockets guard Fred VanVleet, the NBPA's president, led the decision to invest in the facility, which is located about four miles north of Los Angeles International Airport on the city's westside. Chris Paul, Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston were among the former players who provided feedback on the plans.
NBPA executive director David Kelly said Monday that the union signed a three-year lease to operate the facility. The Sterling family, which sold the Clippers to former Microsoft executive Steve Ballmer in 2014, owns the building; the union can sign a five-year extension or buy the facility outright once the initial lease expires.