Steve Ballmer is among the most excitable owners in all of professional sports.

It's common to see the former Microsoft CEO in his normal seat on the left baseline at Staples Center, rooting on his Los Angeles Clippers with the unabashed vigor normally reserved for anonymous super-fans. And as the Clippers continue working to get a new arena built in Inglewood, Ballmer has every intention of ensuring fans attending games at his team's new home feel compelled to cheer the same way he does.

“It's about the ability to get it right,” he said during a recent interview with NBA.com's Sekou Smith. “We’re not putting hockey in the building. I don’t think most people know just how big a difference it can make to not have hockey. You get everybody closer to the floor. The sightlines are a lot better. We’re talking about how much leg room to give people, how much width. I like energy. I want people pumping and thumping in the seats. But you’ve still got to have some bars and clubs.

“We’re trying to pull you back in,” Ballmer continued. “Some buildings, in my opinion, try and push you out a little bit to the bars and clubs. Then it’s more of a different kind of social experience. We’re trying to support both. But we want people who really love the game in the building.”

Ballmer bought the Clippers from Donald Sterling in 2014, after the disgraced former owner was forced out by the league over racist comments he made that were recorded by a former girlfriend. The team bought a plot of land near the future homes of the Los Angeles Rams and Chargers in hopes of building its own arena, which is tentatively planned to open in 2024. The Clippers have shared a home with the Los Angeles Lakers since 1999-2000.