The former arena for the Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Kings, the Forum, has officially been purchased for $23.5 million by the same company that owns one of the most famous sports arenas in this country, Madison Square Garden.
After purchasing the Forum from Forum Enterprises Inc., the Madison Square Garden Co. has some big plans for the famous arena. Reportedly, a huge renovation project will soon be underway according to MSG executive chairman James Dolan via SFGate.com:
“We are honored to be adding the Forum to our iconic list of venues, and to call Inglewood our West Coast home,” James Dolan, executive chairman of New York-based MSG, said in the statement. “We look forward to building on the Forum’s outstanding legacy in music, and to utilizing our expertise to ensure it once again becomes a thriving destination for both artists and music fans.”
During the Showtime era of the Los Angeles Lakers, Magic Johnson and company dominated the competition in the NBA while playing at the Great Western Forum in Inglewood, California. Along with the Forum being a hot spot in Los Angeles and the premier arena to watch professional sports in L.A., a lot of history was made on the floor and on the ice with Magic and L.A. Kings legend Wayne Gretzky becoming star attractions at the famous Forum.
In 1999, the Lakers and the Kings made the move to the Staples Center and a new era of basketball and hockey began in the City of Angels. So far, the results have been better than expected with five NBA titles for the Lakers with big-names in Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant leading the way and the first Stanley Cup in franchise history for the Kings.
Needless to say, the Forum has played a big role in the Lakers history and will continue to be a famous landmark in Los Angeles with many memories that won’t soon be forgotten.
