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. According to Springer, "Cooke went to Inglewood and built the Forum. Cooke won the franchise, paying $2 million for the Los Angeles club, which he called the Kings. 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. In response, Cooke planned to build a new arena in the Los Angeles suburb of Inglewood. The Commission told Cooke that if he won the franchise, he would not be allowed to use the facility. 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. In 1966, the NHL announced that it was adding six new franchises for 1967, and Cooke prepared a bid. The Canadian Cooke, who enjoyed ice hockey, was determined to bring the National Hockey League (NHL) to Los Angeles. 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). It is also known informally as the LA Forum to distinguish it from other places with the name "Forum". The Forum has previously been known as the Great Western Forum, and was nicknamed "the Fabulous Forum" by long-time Lakers play-by-play announcer Chick Hearn. On March 24, 2020, Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer purchased The Forum from MSG for $400 million. On September 24, 2014, the Forum was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 2012, the Forum was purchased by the Madison Square Garden Company (MSG), for $23.5 million MSG announced plans to renovate the arena as a world-class concert venue. In 2000, the Forum was acquired by the Faithful Central Bible Church, which used it for occasional church services and leased it for sporting events, concerts, and other events. The venue also hosted tennis and boxing matches, as well as major music concerts and political events. It was the site of the 19 NBA All-Star Games, the 1981 NHL All-Star Game, 1984 Olympic basketball, and the Big West Conference (from 1983 to 1988) and 1989 Pacific-10 Conference men's basketball tournaments. From 1997 to 2001, the Forum was also the home of the WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks until they moved to Arena as well.Īlongside Madison Square Garden in New York City, the Forum was once one of the best-known indoor sports venues in the U.S., largely due to the Lakers' success and the Hollywood celebrities often seen there. įrom 1967 to 1999, the Forum was home to the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League (NHL) before both teams joined the NBA's Los Angeles Clippers at the Staples Center (now Arena). It was a groundbreaking structure without extensive internal support pillars that was unique in an indoor arena the size of the Forum. Architect Charles Luckman's vision was realized by engineers Carl Johnson and Svend Nielsen. Located between West Manchester Boulevard, across Pincay Drive and Kareem Court, it is north of SoFi Stadium and the Hollywood Park Casino, and about 3 miles (4.8 km) east of the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). Kia Forum (formerly the Forum) is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Inglewood, California, United States, adjacent to Los Angeles.
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