Kia Forum

Kia Forum
"Los Angeles Forum"
"The Fabulous Forum"
The Kia Forum
Map
Former names
  • The Forum (1967–1988, 2004–2012)
  • Great Western Forum (1988–2003)
  • The Forum presented by Chase (2014–2022)
Address3900 West Manchester Boulevard
LocationInglewood, California, U.S.
Coordinates33°57′30″N 118°20′30″W / 33.95833°N 118.34167°W / 33.95833; -118.34167
Public transit K Line  Downtown Inglewood
Bus interchange Metro Local 212 from
C Line  Hawthorne/Lennox
OwnerSteve Ballmer
Capacity
Construction
Broke groundJuly 1, 1966; 58 years ago (1966-07-01)
OpenedDecember 30, 1967; 56 years ago (1967-12-30)
Renovated1988, 2012–2014
Construction costUS$16 million ($146 million in 2023 dollars[1])
2014 renovation: $76.5 million
ArchitectCharles Luckman Associates (original)
Brisbin Brook Beynon (renovation)
Structural engineerJohnson & Nielsen Associates (original)
Severud Associates (renovation)
General contractorC.L. Peck Contractors (original)
Clark Construction (renovation)
Tenants
Website
thekiaforum.com
Forum
NRHP reference No.14000661
Added to NRHPSeptember 24, 2014

The Kia Forum, also known as Los Angeles Forum or formerly the Forum, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Inglewood, California, United States, adjacent to Los Angeles. 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 and the Hollywood Park Casino, and about 3 miles (4.8 km) east of the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).

The Forum opened on December 30, 1967. Architect Charles Luckman's vision was realized by engineers Carl Johnson and Svend Nielsen. It was a groundbreaking structure without extensive internal support pillars that was unique in an indoor arena the size of the Forum.[2]

From 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 Crypto.com Arena, then known as the Staples Center. From 1997 to 2001, the Forum was also the home of the WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks until they moved to Crypto.com Arena as well.

Alongside 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. It was the site of the 1972 and 1983 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. The venue also hosted tennis and boxing matches, as well as major music concerts and political events.

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. 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.[3] On September 24, 2014, the Forum was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. On March 24, 2020, Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer purchased The Forum from MSG for $400 million.

The Forum has previously been known as the Great Western Forum,[4] and was nicknamed "the Fabulous Forum" by long-time Lakers play-by-play announcer Chick Hearn.[5] It is also known informally as the LA Forum to distinguish it from other places with the name "Forum".[6]

  1. ^ 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.
  2. ^ "Svend Nielsen Obituary – Riverside, CA | The Press-Enterprise". Legacy.com. Retrieved November 12, 2018.
  3. ^ Vincent, Roger (June 26, 2012). "Forum Owners Plan to Revive Venue with $50-Million Renovation". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 26, 2012.
  4. ^ Adelson, Andrea (December 7, 1988). "THE MEDIA BUSINESS; Great Western's Name On Los Angeles Forum". The New York Times. Retrieved August 16, 2014.
  5. ^ Pedersen, Erik (March 24, 2020). "Los Angeles Clippers Owner Buys The Forum In Pick & Roll Toward Building New Arena". Deadline. Retrieved April 4, 2020.
  6. ^ Velin, Bob (May 18, 2014). "Marquez defeats Alvarado in slugfest at L.A. Forum". USA Today. Retrieved August 16, 2014.