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The Forum, formerly known as the '''Great Western Forum''', is an Indoor Arena in Inglewood, California . Prior to the adoption of the ''Great Western'' moniker, the venue was frequently disambiguated from other places with the name ''Forum'' by referring to it as the "'''Los Angeles'''"''' Forum''' or the "'''L.A.'''"''' Forum''', in reference to its close proximity to the city limits of Los Angeles . It achieved its greatest fame as the home of the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and of the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League from 1967 until 1999 . In that year, Staples Center was opened and two teams relocated there. The Forum was also the home of the Los Angeles Sparks of the Women's National Basketball Association from 1997 until they too moved to Staples Center in 2001 . The "Fabulous" Forum, as it would become colloquially known to locals, was constructed by Jack Kent Cooke , owner of the Lakers and founding owner of the Kings, in 1967 . The oval-shaped, $16 million structure was named for and designed to evoke the Roman Forum . The Arena seats 17,505 for Basketball , 16,005 for Ice Hockey , and up to 18,000 for Concerts ; it has no luxury suites, but held an unprecedented 2,400 club seats for events. In excess of 70 percent of the seats were located between the goals, and no seat is more than 170 feet from the playing surface. It was the site of the 1972 and 1983 NBA All-Star Game , the 1980 NHL All-Star Game , and hosted the 1989 Pacific Ten Conference men's basketball tournament. The Forum became a landmark in the Greater Los Angeles Area , in large measure from the success of the Lakers and from the Hollywood celebrities often sighted in its audiences. It hosted a vast number of events such as Tennis matches, Rock concerts, Boxing matches, ice shows, Rodeo s, and political events. In 1979 , Cooke sold The Forum to Jerry Buss along with the Lakers and the Kings for a then-record $67.5 million. The Lakers experienced a tremendous run of success in the 1980's, winning five NBA Championships and making the NBA Finals every year but two. This level of success raised The Forum's profile greatly across the sporting world, as fans became accustomed to watching playoff games and other important games played there by the Lakers. In 1988 , Buss capitalized on this success by selling the arena's Naming Rights to Great Western Savings & Loan . The exterior of the building was repainted blue from the original dark orange or red, and the building was officially renamed the ''Great Western Forum'', and that name was retained for several years, even after Great Western was purchased by another S&L , Downey, and after Downey itself was acquired by Washington Mutual . Such naming rights deals have now become commonplace in major American sports, but were not at the time of Buss' deal with Great Western. Although there was some initial negative public reaction to the changing of the venue's historic name, that reaction was muted by the fact that the new name did not overtly reek of corporate sponsorship. In fact, ''Great Western Forum'' sounded so much like a natural name that many people, particularly among those outside the Los Angeles area, remained unaware that the name was the result of a naming rights deal. By the early 1990s , the arena was among the oldest used for professional sports. By the middle of the decade, it was regarded as too small, and more importantly, it lacked premium skyboxes and sufficient retail and commercial space. Los Angeles officials, seeking to redevelop that city's downtown area, began planning for a new sports arena and entertainment complex to be located there, with an eye toward wooing the Lakers and Kings away from Inglewood. The Kings' owners (who did substantial business as real estate developers) agreed to develop the complex, eventually given the name '' Staples Center '', and signed Buss on to move the Lakers into the new arena as a co-tenant with the Kings. The new arena was to open in the autumn of 1999 and, as part of this deal, Buss sold the Great Western Forum to L.A. Arena Co. (a company also owned by the Kings' owners). Blaming the Great Western Forum for low attendance, the Sparks made 2000 their last season in the venue and then followed the Lakers and Kings to Staples Center. Faithful Central Bible Church, home to a predominantly African-American Congregation numbering over 12,000, purchased the Great Western Forum at the end of 2000 and holds its regular Service there each Sunday morning. The church makes the building available for rent (for concerts/sporting events/etc. that require that type of large venue) on other days. As such, ownership is held through the church's for-profit entity, Forum Enterprises, Inc., which remains welcoming of mainstream and Secular fare, such as a Rolling Stones concert held at The Forum in March 2005 . The building also continues to be made available for film use. The 2002 film '' Like Mike '' used The Forum for arena interior shots. And Foo Fighters also used The Forum in filming the video for their song " All My Life " in 2003 , visibly featuring the outside architecture and name of the building in the opening and closing shots. Under the church, the building's official name has been reverted to the original ''The Forum'', although the Great Western corporate Logo and the letters forming the words ''GREAT WESTERN'' remain on the building's exterior. Thus, if viewing the building during the day, the entire former name is still visible and prominent. At night, only the letters in ''FORUM'' are illuminated. The departure of the building's major sports teams has significantly lowered The Forum's profile, especially outside of the Los Angeles area. As a result, the ''Great Western Forum'' name is still frequently heard, as many people remain unaware that the original name has been restored. EXTERNAL LINKS |
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