The ForumInglewood, Los Angeles CA, United States

The Forum, known for a time as the Great Western Forum, is an indoor arena in Inglewood, California, a suburb of Los Angeles. The Forum is owned by the Faithful Central Bible Church, which uses it for its Sunday morning service.

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.

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.

It was the site of the 1972 and 1983 NBA All-Star Game, the 1981 NHL All-Star Game, and hosted the Big West Conference men’s basketball tournament from 1983–1988 and also the 1989 Pacific Ten Conference men’s basketball tournament.

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 continues to welcome to the arena mainstream and secular fare, including concerts by such artists as Metallica, Madonna, the Rolling Stones, Iron Maiden, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.