The Forum ( Inglewood , California ) The Forum , known for a 15 - year period as the Great Western Forum , is an arena in Inglewood , California , a suburb of Los Angeles . The Forum is owned by the Faithful Central Bible Church , which occasionally uses it for church services , in addition to making the building available for sporting events , concerts and other events . The Forum 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 , when the teams moved to Staples Center . Along with Madison Square Garden , it was one of the most well - known indoor sports venues in the world during this time . The building 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 Forum was the site of the 1972 NBA All - Star Game and 1983 NBA All - Star Game , the 1981 NHL All - Star Game . History . 1960s / 70s . 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 circular , $ 16 million structure was designed by renowned Los Angeles architect Charles Luckman and was intended 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 . However , as it is designed as a sports arena , it is ill - suited for musical performance events , and the acoustics are poor compared with performance venues such as the Hollywood Bowl or Greek Theatre , other major venues in the Greater LA area . 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 . In 1979 , Cooke sold The Forum , along with the Lakers and the Kings , to Jerry Buss for a then - record $ 67 . 5 million . 1980s . The Lakers experienced a tremendous run of success in the 1980s , 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 1984 , The Forum also found itself in an international spotlight , as it hosted the basketball tournaments of the 1984 Summer Olympics . In December 1988 , Buss capitalized on all of this success by selling the arena ' s naming rights to Great Western Bank . This also coincided with the arrival of Wayne Gretzky in Los Angeles , which greatly increased the profile of the building ' s other tenant , the Kings . The exterior of the building was repainted blue from the original " Roman red " color , and the building was officially renamed the " Great Western Forum " , and that name was retained for several years , even after Great Western was acquired by Washington Mutual and ceased to exist . Such naming rights deals eventually became commonplace in major American sports , but were not so at the time of Buss ' deal with Great Western . There was some initial negative public reaction to the changing of the venue ' s historic name , and most local residents continued to refer to the arena as simply " The Forum " . However , the adverse reaction was eventually somewhat muted by the fact that the new name of " Great Western Forum " sounded rather like a natural name for the arena , given its location in the western United States . So much so that many people , particularly among those outside the Los Angeles area , remained unaware that the name was the result of a naming rights deal . 1990s . Before the 1991 – 92 NBA and NHL seasons , a new , modern scoreboard was installed , replacing the one that had been in use since the building opened in 1967 . However , by the middle of the decade , the Great Western Forum was still 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 King ' s 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 King ' s owners ) .