Lakers Return To The Forum Tonight
I’ve always been a fan of old stadiums and arenas. To me, nothing beats seeing a game at the Garden or sitting in the sun watching the Cubs at Wrigley Field. I think sports venues with history and tradition have more character and makes attending games more meaningful. Nowadays, it’s all about luxury boxes, waterslides in the outfield and Hard Rock Cafe’s inside the arenas. I know it’s business, but I’m kind of indifferent to new arenas.
For the first time in 10 years, the Lakers will return to their former home, the Forum in Inglewood, to play the Golden State Warriors tonight. The return will help celebrate the Lakers franchises’ 50th anniversary. The Forum played host to some of the best Lakers teams from the Wilt Chamberlain days to the Showtime era to the early days of Kobe and Shaq.
“There’s so much history and tradition,” Bryant told the LA Times. “It’ll be good to see what it looks like. That’s where it all started [for me]. The locker, the smell of it, the orange seats, it’ll be cool to get back there.”
In 1999, the Lakers moved to the Staples Center. The Forum is now owned by the Faithful Central Bible Church and is used for church services but still hosts concerts and sporting events. Last season, the Sixers returned home to play a game at the historic Philadelphia Spectrum, before it gets torn down. Here are some of footage of a young Kobe putting in work at the “Fabolous” Forum.
Where is your favorite sports venue?
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October 9th, 2009 at 12:39 pm
j from la says:
memories… 17505
October 9th, 2009 at 12:40 pm
That's whats up says:
saw a pre-season game there back in the day when Ced Ceballos POSTERIZED rookie/high-schooler Kevin Garnett and started yelling “He’s Not Ready!! He’s Not Ready!!!”
October 9th, 2009 at 12:41 pm
chebs says:
yes second haa…kobe 4 mvp !
October 9th, 2009 at 12:47 pm
penske1 says:
Nice
I’d like to see Kobe sport the mini-fro again
October 9th, 2009 at 12:48 pm
IAMRICH says:
KOBE WAS THE MAN WHEN THE YEAR HE HAD THE FRO GOING…ASK SACRAMENTO…THEY KNOW…
October 9th, 2009 at 1:38 pm
BiG ShoT BoB says:
But remember those ugly ass adidas Kobe came in the league rockin just ugly as shit…LOL
October 9th, 2009 at 1:54 pm
BRUCE says:
Kobe — Don’t yo forget that 7 Feet Tall, 300 plus pounds MONKEY!
October 9th, 2009 at 1:58 pm
Rare Air says:
LMAO at 1:57 Eric Piatkowski getting straight owned!
@ penske 1
The mini fro was sweet, but Mamba has lost some hair since then - it would look like when Jerry Rice and Donovan McNabb rocked the receding hair line braids, not a good look.
Lol at how appropriate that song is for 3-4 years down the road from when these clips were taken.
October 9th, 2009 at 2:02 pm
s.bucketz says:
nothins better than madison square garden…im ready riot if they ever think of tearin it down
October 9th, 2009 at 2:17 pm
Dime Magazine says:
Guess the Forum’s shower facilities aren’t exactly the Four Seasons. CNNSI’s Arash Markazi tweeted: The Lakers are also planning on showering at the El Segundo practice facility post-game and not at the Forum. That should be a fun bus ride
October 9th, 2009 at 2:30 pm
Jaytea says:
Tonites attendance, 17,505.
October 9th, 2009 at 2:51 pm
doc says:
He improved so much since then it aint even funny.
October 9th, 2009 at 4:41 pm
Sacto_J says:
I miss # 8 Frobe Bryant! That dude could ball! The guy rockin #24 I just don’t understand….
October 9th, 2009 at 4:56 pm
Guitar Hero says:
The Forum was an amazing venue.
Miss the Boston Garden as well.
Thank God for MSG.
October 9th, 2009 at 9:02 pm
the cynic says:
back when he used to stick out his tongue all the time like he was MJ. I like him a lot more since he stopped trying to look like Mike
October 10th, 2009 at 12:32 am
Alvin says:
The old Chicago stadium was where it was at!!!!!! That stadium used to be so loud, and the organ that used to be played there was just plain eerie. Watchin MJ,Pip and the rest of the gang from the first three peat tear it up year in and year out over there in the madhouse on madison made the westside of chicago the place to be back in the day, good memories!!!!
October 10th, 2009 at 9:53 am
Mayan Mike says:
I’ll always remember the Fabulous Forum (aka Great western Forum) as Chicks House. Buck collected the rent though.