The Wall in the Intuit Dome is a brilliant idea and other teams should absolutely steal it

This is For The Win’s regular newsletter, The Morning Win. Did a friend urge aliases guardant this to you? If so, subscribe here. Have feedback? Leave your questions, comments and concerns done this little scholar survey! Now, here’s Mike Sykes.

Good morning, folks! Welcome to nan Morning Win. Thanks for reference today. We admit you.

Quick lil’ storytime for you. I went to nan Washington Spirit’s last location crippled against nan Chicago Red Stars connected Sunday. Fantastic outing.

One of nan things I bask nan astir about going to shot games is nan fandom. It’s electric. The Spirit, specifically, person a “Spirit Section” for fans to beryllium successful and cheer connected nan team.

There are nary existent seats there. The fans guidelines nan full time, up connected their feet pinch hands successful nan air, cheering for Washington. They person circumstantial chants they get into passim nan game. And don’t fto nan Spirit people a extremity — you won’t beryllium capable to perceive yourself think.  That’s what a existent location section advantage looks like. Whenever I spell to a shot game, I ever wonderment why this isn’t much of a point astatine hoops games.

Steve Ballmer seems to person had nan aforesaid thought erstwhile envisioning The Wall successful nan Clippers’ caller Intuit Dome.

THE WALL WINS: The Wall defeated Kevin Durant (temporarily) successful its first game.

Out of each nan bells and whistles included successful nan $2 cardinal arena, nan tremendous instrumentality conception is nan astir awesome point included. It’s 51 rows of uninterrupted instrumentality seating. No trim cards. It’s honestly impressive.

Reading astir it was 1 point — seeing it successful action was another. The fans were menacing. They were loud. They collapsed into song. They weren’t precisely nan astir organized group of fans rather yet, but it’s only Game 1. They didn’t request to be. Their raucousness, alone, was capable to get nan occupation done.

Imagine shooting free throws successful beforehand of this. No wonderment it collapsed Kevin Durant.

"The Wall" astatine nan Intuit Dome is menacing connected nan free propulsion statement 😳

PHX-LAC 4Q connected ESPN pic.twitter.com/Hbzt7cME3Q

— NBA (@NBA) October 24, 2024

This is specified a awesome thought that each NBA squad needs to steal. The environments astir nan convention person gotten measurement excessively chill complete nan years. It conscionable doesn’t consciousness for illustration arenas get arsenic large arsenic they utilized to.

I vividly retrieve erstwhile nan Steph Curry era began to highest successful Golden State successful 2013 astatine Oracle Arena. Those “Warriorrrrrrrrrs” chants utilized to springiness maine chills. Those seldom hap now. What you’re much apt to tally into these days are teams conscionable pumping artificial sound into nan stands to rattle nan arena. The vibes, extracurricular of nan breathtaking moments, are mostly conscionable excessively chill these days.

That’s not connected nan fans, by nan way. It’s much astir nan vibe successful nan arenas now. Between the increases successful ticket prices siloing retired immoderate passionate fans, the intrusive advertizing you spot everyplace successful arenas these days and nan sponsored gimmicks that return up arena space, location are simply conscionable less group coming to games and cheering for illustration their lives dangle connected it.

Not those fans connected The Wall. They’re location to play nan sixth man connected nan tribunal domiciled successful earnest. It’s a beautiful show to spot and thing that could perchance springiness nan Clippers a competitory advantage. At nan very least, it’ll make watching Clippers games overmuch much entertaining for those sitting astatine home.

STEVE BALLMER JOINS IN: Ballmer sat pinch The Wall astatine nan Intuit Dome’s NBA debut

This should beryllium thing each squad successful nan NBA copies. If nan Clippers, of each teams, tin bring passionate fans into nan arena and get them to cheer for illustration that, past almost each squad should beryllium capable to do so.

All they request to do is make abstraction for it to happen.

Could Russell Westbrook beryllium nan missing piece?

The backmost half of Russell Westbrook’s NBA profession has been tumultuous, to opportunity nan least. The early Hall of Fame constituent defender has played for 5 teams successful six years and has collapsed and burned astatine each stop.

Now, he’s a Denver Nugget. And it’s easy to expect nan results to beryllium akin here. But our Robert Zeglinski writes that Westbrook could beryllium nan cardinal to unlocking a caller element for Denver’s discourtesy successful his latest for FTW.

“Two summers ago, Jokic’s Nuggets climbed nan NBA’s summit, capturing nan franchise’s first-ever title while soft-launching dynasty discussions. The Nuggets fell short of winning back-to-back titles successful May. They past fell into an offseason marked by turmoil astatine worst and stagnancy astatine best.

As nan Nuggets spot it, nan now-eldest subordinate connected their roster could catalyze them to glory erstwhile much successful simultaneous pursuit of his first-ever elusive title ring. Westbrook could beryllium their caller Bruce Brown, nan backup, relentlessly competitory defender who brought endless strength en way to Denver’s 2023 title”

Zeglinski explains really Westbrook has already shifted nan Nuggets’ civilization successful a large measurement pinch his feature. He’s playing nan mentor domiciled for Jamal Murray and a motivator for nan remainder of nan squad.

It’s an absorbing fresh that I didn’t deliberation would make overmuch consciousness initially. After reference this, though, I deliberation this business betwixt Westbrook and nan Nuggets could beryllium promising.

MORE ON WESTBROOK: Read Robert’s afloat portion here

Kennesaw State collapsed assemblage football

No, I can’t judge Kennesaw State hit Liberty either.

One squad came into nan crippled 5-0 without a loss. The different came into nan crippled 0-6 without a win. Both teams near pinch a “1” replacing that zero.

What made nan infinitesimal truthful delightful, though, was State fans rushing nan section a spot excessively quickly earlier their win. Cory Woodroof has much here:

“As they darn good should’ve, nan Kennesaw State fans successful attendance for nan historical location triumph stormed nan section successful celebration. However, they were astir a 2nd excessively soon connected their first effort (really astatine nary responsibility of their own).

There was astir a 2nd near connected nan timepiece erstwhile it looked for illustration nan crippled was over, and Liberty had nan shot down 3 points. If location would beryllium immoderate benignant of last-ditch Hail Mary successful nan team’s arsenal of plays, nan Flames would technically person a 2nd to effort it.”

What a moment. I cognize nan Alabama-Vandy crippled will apt beryllium considered nan upset of nan year, and rightfully so. But this has sewage to beryllium up there, man. It’s Kennesaw State’s first triumph against an FBS schoolhouse and it happened for illustration this.

College shot is nan best.

Quick hits: Pistons gonna Piston … Trade deadline buyers and sellers … and more

— The Pistons someway sewage a method for having six players connected nan tribunal against nan Pacers because, of course, they did. Here’s Cory pinch more.

— Christian D’Andrea put together a buyers and sellers database for each 32 NFL teams here arsenic we caput toward nan waste and acquisition deadline.

— The New York Liberty are partying pinch Meghan Thee Stallion now aft winning it all. I’m jealous. Meg Hall has more.

— An Eagles instrumentality dropped a “Go Birds” astatine Kamala Harris’ Town Hall gathering connected Wednesday because of course. Charles Curits has more.

— Here’s Cory Woodroof pinch five moving backs who could beryllium disposable astatine nan waste and acquisition deadline.

— And present are picks against nan spread from nan unit for nan College Football play ahead.

That’s a wrap, folks. Thanks truthful overmuch for reading. We admit your time. Peace! Have a awesome Thursday.

-Sykes ✌️