On this episode of the Playbook, I have the legend Lee Ziedman,

president of the Staples Center, and we're going to talk about how you go from the most

popular sports venue to nobody in the seats back to the most popular sports venue in the world.

Join me for all this and more on the Playbook.

This is Entrepreneurs the Playbook, where each week I bring you some of the greatest

athletes, celebrities, and entrepreneurs to talk about their personal and professional

playbook to success and what made them champions on the field and in the boardroom.

I'm your host, David Meltzer.

I have the award winning now, you just got honored.

Lee Ziedman, president of the Staples, I had to come back and have this interview because

out of anyone in the sports industry, I thought you could give me the real insight on the changes

that have occurred in sports itself, especially as the leader in indoor facilities.

You said the first to close in the last to open.

I want to ask you one question. What were you thinking? I think it was around March 17th

when the NBA closed down. After all the years in the industry, what was the first thought that

went through your head? Well, we actually had a game, March 12th, a Kings game against the

Ottawa Senators and that was the last live event until obviously we came back without fans

and with fans beginning April 15th. But when we shut down after that game, I took close to

3,000 employees from Staples Center over to Microsoft Theater because I oversee Microsoft Theater

and LA Live as well and we put them in the orchestra level there and I addressed them and I said,

listen, I don't know where we're going. I don't know what this means. I don't know if it's going to be

three weeks, it's going to be three months, if it's going to be 15 months. I have no idea,

...