Watch: James Harden & Clippers make practice debut in $2 billion Intuit Dome

James Harden and the LA Clippers made their practice debut at the franchise's new state-of-the-art Intuit Dome on Monday, showcasing the facility's innovative design.

LA seemingly downgraded roster-wise over the offseason. It lost star wing Paul George to the Philadelphia 76ers in free agency and replaced him with an assortment of role players. Nevertheless, excitement abounds surrounding the organization's groundbreaking transition from Crypto.com Arena to Intuit Dome.

The Clippers have shared Los Angeles' Crypto.com Arena (formerly Staples Center) with their crosstown rivals, the LA Lakers, since the 1999-00 NBA season. However, their billionaire owner Steve Ballmer has long planned for his squad to have its own stadium.

Ballmer's vision recently came to fruition, with Inglewood, California's Intuit Dome opening in August, two months before the start of the 2024-25 season. The Clippers are set to make their preseason debut in the $2 billion venue when they host the Dallas Mavericks on Oct. 14.

Just over a week later, LA will take on the Phoenix Suns in its Oct. 23 regular-season opener at Intuit Dome.

Ahead of the campaign, the Clippers held their first official practice at their new arena's training facility on Monday. LA beat writer Joey Linn shared a video from the session on X/Twitter, marveling at how "incredible" the building is.

The Clippers' X account also shared some photos and videos from the practice. In one clip, Harden can be seen working on his outside shot.

Meanwhile, one picture features the 2018 MVP laughing it up with his co-star Kawhi Leonard. In the post's caption, LA's social media admin alluded to the excitement surrounding the team's new venue.

"New practice facility got us like ...," the franchise tweeted along with a grinning emoji.

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James Harden set to take on increased offensive workload as Clippers transition to Intuit Dome

Following Paul George's free agency departure, James Harden faces increased expectations entering his second season with the Clippers.

Harden is projected to take on an expanded offensive workload, serving as the team's secondary scoring option behind Kawhi Leonard. However, the 10-time All-Star appears ready for the challenge.

"I’m going to tell you one thing, it’s going to involve a lot of me," Harden said at media day. "Not just because I can create a shot and I can get guys involved."

However, Harden added that the "team’s got to be constructed very well and have a little bit of luck" health-wise. Leonard, in particular, has struggled to stay healthy, suiting up in only four playoff games the last two years due to right knee injuries.

"You've got to make sure you’re healthy, and all those kinds of things [have] got to play a factor," Harden said. "So, for me, [during] training camp and these preseason games, we’ll figure out how the style needs to be played, and then we’ll go from there."

James Harden and the Clippers will look to stay afloat in the stacked Western Conference after placing fourth (51-31) last season. However, they are widely expected to experience a substantial drop-off and potentially miss the postseason in their first year at Intuit Dome.

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