The Los Angeles Lakers are relocating and rebranding.
No, not those Lakers. Well yes, but not exactly.
The Lakers announced Thursday that its G-League affiliate South Bay Lakers will no longer play their home games at UCLA Health Training Center in El Segundo, California, instead moving the team to the Greater Palm Springs region and renaming them the Coachella Valley Lakers.
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At the start of the 2026-27 NBA G-League season, the Coachella Valley Lakers will play their home games Acrisure Arena, an 11,000-max capacity multi-purpose event venue in Palm Desert.
“I have enjoyed a long-time relationship with Jerry and Jeanie Buss, Lon Rosen and Linda Rambis. And I am beyond thrilled to have the Coachella Valley Lakers call OVG’s Acrisure Arena their home. Go Lakers,” Oak View Group Senior Partner Irving Azoff said in a news release.
The venue has been mainly used for concerts, comedy shows and hockey games. The facility serves as the home of the American Hockey League affiliate of the Seattle Kraken, the Coachella Valley Firebirds.
The Lakers have also hosted a couple of NBA preseason games at Acrisure Arena in 2024, against the Minnesota Timberwolves and Phoenix Suns on Oct. 4 and 6, respectively.
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Coolest kicks of the NBA playoffs as stars show their sneaker style
The NBA playoffs bring out more than high‑stakes basketball, as stars showcase their sneaker style on the league’s biggest stage.
See the coolest kicks worn during the 2026 NBA Playoffs, where footwear becomes part of the spotlight.
Above, The shoes of Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks are seen during the first half of Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs against the Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden on April 18, 2026, in New York City.
1 / 9
Coolest kicks of the NBA playoffs as stars show their sneaker style
The NBA playoffs bring out more than high‑stakes basketball, as stars showcase their sneaker style on the league’s biggest stage.
See the coolest kicks worn during the 2026 NBA Playoffs, where footwear becomes part of the spotlight.
Above, The shoes of Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks are seen during the first half of Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs against the Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden on April 18, 2026, in New York City.
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Coolest kicks of the NBA playoffs as stars show their sneaker style
The shoes of Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the New York Knicks are seen before Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs against the Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden on April 18, 2026, in New York City.
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Coolest kicks of the NBA playoffs as stars show their sneaker style
The shoes of Josh Hart #3 of the New York Knicks are seen during the third quarter of Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden on April 18, 2026, in New York City.
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Coolest kicks of the NBA playoffs as stars show their sneaker style
Shoes worn by Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first quarter during Game One of the First Round of the NBA Western Conference Playoffs at Ball Arena on April 18, 2026, in Denver, Colorado.
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Coolest kicks of the NBA playoffs as stars show their sneaker style
The Nike Lebron XXIII shoes worn by Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) against the Houston Rockets in the first half during game one of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs, at Crypto.com Arena.
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Coolest kicks of the NBA playoffs as stars show their sneaker style
Shoes worn by Anthony Edwards #5 of the Minnesota Timberwolves against the Denver Nuggets in the first quarter during Game One of the First Round of the NBA Western Conference Playoffs at Ball Arena on April 18, 2026, in Denver, Colorado.
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Coolest kicks of the NBA playoffs as stars show their sneaker style
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – APRIL 18: The shoes of Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the New York Knicks are seen during the first half of Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs against the Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden on April 18, 2026 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
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Coolest kicks of the NBA playoffs as stars show their sneaker style
The shoes of Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the New York Knicks are seen during the third quarter of Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden on April 18, 2026, in New York City.
9 / 9
Coolest kicks of the NBA playoffs as stars show their sneaker style
The shoes of Jonathan Kuminga #0 of the Atlanta Hawks are seen during the third quarter of Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs against the Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden on April 18, 2026, in New York City.
“Moving the Lakers G League team to the Coachella Valley is an incredible opportunity for the organization,” Lakers president of business operations Lon Rosen said in a press release. “The Lakers have had a strong presence in the region for decades, from the Showtime Lakers holding training camp in the 1980s to more recent preseason games.
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“We are looking forward to extending that experience and becoming a staple for Coachella Valley sports and entertainment. Acrisure Arena is the perfect modern venue that provides an incredible fan-first experience, while ensuring players have the premium facilities and space they need on game day.”
Season ticket deposits starting at $100 per account are available online at coachellavalleylakers.com. Season tickets are fully refundable at the time of seat selection, the team said.
In two decades, the franchise has recorded 60 NBA call-ups across 38 players.
The Lakers’ G-League team has a knack for finding raw talent and developing them into quality NBA talent, from current Laker Austin Reaves, two-time champion Alex Caruso, NBA All-Star Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart, Lonzo Ball and even Kyle Kuzma, who played a role in the Lakers’ 2020 NBA championship.
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And it’s been the case most recently with Bronny James Jr., Dalton Knecht, Adou Thiero, Kobe Bufkin and Nick Smith Jr. This past season, the South Bay Lakers clinched the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference with a 26-10 regular-season record.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Lakers G-League team moves to Palm Springs now Coachella Valley Lakers
