Great Western Forum

Lore & Background

On the site of a former golf course, the 'fabulous' Forum (as it was colloquially known to locals) was built in 1967 by Jack Kent Cooke (owner of the Lakers and founding owner of the Kings). The Canadian Cooke, who enjoyed ice hockey, was determined to bring the National Hockey League (NHL) to Los Angeles. In 1966, the NHL announced that it was adding six new franchises for 1967, and Cooke prepared a bid. The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Commission, which operated the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, supported a competing bid headed by Los Angeles Rams owner Dan Reeves—who already had a hockey team at the Arena, the Western Hockey League's Los Angeles Blades. The Commission told Cooke that if he won the franchise, he would not be allowed to use the facility. In response, Cooke planned to build a new arena in the Los Angeles suburb of Inglewood. Nearly 30 years later, Cooke told Los Angeles Times sportswriter Steve Springer that he remembered 'one official representing the commission laughing at him' when Cooke said he would build in Inglewood. Cooke won the franchise, paying $2 million for the Los Angeles club, which he called the Kings. According to Springer, 'Cooke went to Inglewood and built the Forum. Goodbye, Lakers. Goodbye, Kings.' The round, $16 million building was designed by Los Angeles architect Charles Luckman to be 'reminiscent of Roman coliseums.' The arena seats 17,505 for basketball, 16,005 for hockey and up to 18,000 for musical concerts; although it has no luxury suites, it had 2,400 club seats for events. More than 70% of the seats are between the goals, and no seat is more than 170 feet (52 m) from the playing surface. The first Kings game at the arena took place on December 30, 1967 as an 0–2 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers. The first Lakers game at the arena took place on December 31, 1967 as a 147–118 victory against the San Diego Rockets. During the Cooke era, the Forum hosted five NBA Finals in its first six years (1967–73). The Boston Celtics celebrated both the 1968 and 1969 championships in the arena, the latter of which marked the final games Bill Russell ever played. The Lakers won the 1972 NBA Finals at the Forum in Game 5, while the New York Knicks' second championship was clinched in a Game 5 at the same venue in the 1973 NBA Finals the following season.

In Their Own Story

The 1991 NBA Finals delivered heartbreak within the Forum's walls. After winning Game 1 on the road at Chicago Stadium, the Lakers returned home for Game 2 but lost 107–86. The team then lost their next three home games in a row, including a 108–101 defeat in Game 5. This final loss at the Great Western Forum ended the series in five games, handing the Chicago Bulls their first-ever NBA championship. It was a somber conclusion for the franchise; this game marked Magic Johnson's last NBA appearance before his retirement that November due to an HIV diagnosis. The arena stood silent after the buzzer, signaling the end of the Showtime era, as the team would not return to the Finals until 2000.

Reader's Guide

The Forum is located on West Manchester Boulevard, with Pincay Drive to the south and between Kareem Court and Prairie Avenue to the east and west. It is north of SoFi Stadium, Intuit Dome, and the Hollywood Park Casino, and about 3 miles (4.8 km) east of Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). The arena seats 17,505 for basketball, 16,005 for hockey and up to 18,000 for musical concerts. It has no luxury suites but had 2,400 club seats for events. More than 70% of the seats are between the goals, and no seat is more than 170 feet (52 m) from the playing surface.

Did You Know?

• The Forum opened on December 30, 1967.
• The arena's roof, a cable-suspended structure, has a diameter of approximately 407 feet (124 meters).
• The Forum was home to the Los Angeles Lakers from 1967 to 1999.
• It was the site of the 1972 and 1983 NBA All-Star Games.
• The Forum was purchased by Steve Ballmer for $400 million on March 24, 2020.