Steve Ballmer Jokes About Chris Paul's Secret Tunnel Attack

The Intuit Dome will not have any secret tunnel access for LA Clippers opponents

Joey Linn | Jul 23, 2022

AP Photo

In this story:

NBA fans certainly remember the infamous "Tunnel Game" between the LA Clippers and Houston Rockets. After Blake Griffin and the Clippers defeated their former point guard Chris Paul in a heated contest that contained multiple technical fouls and ejections, Paul led a group of Rockets players through a "secret tunnel" to confront the Clippers in their locker room.

The incident became a viral talking point on Twitter, and still receives occasional mentions to this day. The most recent reference to the "Tunnel Game" came from Steve Ballmer, who joked about it when touring the site of what will be the Intuit Dome.

Having just completed the concrete frame for their new arena set to open in 2024, the LA Clippers hosted a celebration at the Intuit Dome for construction workers to be celebrated while Steve Ballmer gave an update on the progress. ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk took a walk with Ballmer around the site, and got some inside access into the arena's details, including its lack of secret tunnels.

"Locker rooms here, practice courts are back that way," Ballmer said. "Lets just say, as you know, there are back halls at Staples [Center] between visitors [and the home team]. Ya, we don't want that. I'm just gonna say that. We don't want any back hallways."

PART 1: Steve Ballmer took me inside the construction site of the Intuit Dome and we talked about the Clippers’ finally having their own home complete with a Wall of sound and no secret hallways and how the dome is “another statement that says, ‘Hey look, we're nobody’s brother” pic.twitter.com/8Z4VkAIRzi
— Ohm Youngmisuk (@NotoriousOHM) July 23, 2022

Ballmer's joke about the infamous tunnel incident was also an opportunity to shed light on one of the many ways in which the Intuit Dome will be superior to the recently renamed Crypto.com Arena.

NBA Star Reveals Kanye West's Influence on Basketball

Lou Williams Reveals Message to Clippers After Blake Griffin Trade

Terance Mann Shares Prediction For Clippers Next Season

Published Jul 23, 2022

JOEY LINN

Joey Linn is a credentialed writer covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated's FanNation. Covering the LA Clippers independently in 2018, then for Fansided and 213Hoops from 2019-2021, Joey joined Sports Illustrated's FanNation to cover the Clippers after the 2020-21 season. Graduating from Biola University in 2022 with a Communication Studies degree, Joey served as Biola's play-by-play announcer for their basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams during his time in school. Joey's work on Biola's broadcasts, combined with his excellence in the classroom, earned him the Outstanding Communication Studies Student of the year award in 2022. Joey covers the NBA full-time across multiple platforms, primarily serving as a credentialed Clippers beat writer.

Related Articles