Top 5 Lakers of all time

Do you know where do the Los Angeles Lakers play home games?

Where do the Lakers play?

The Los Angeles Lakers play at the Crypto.com Arena. Following the 1998-1999 season, the Lakers moved from the Great Western Forum to the Los Angeles Crypto.com Arena located at 1111 South Figueroa Street, Los Angeles, California, 90015, and have a capacity for 18,320 for a Lakers home game. The Crypto.com Arena complex is 950,000 square feet and was opened by the AEG on October 17th, 1999. Although the Crypto.com Arena is the home of Lakers, it also is the home of the Los Angeles Kings, Los Angeles Clippers, LA Sparks and has numerous other concerts and sporting events throughout the year.

The Lakers wanted a new coach for the move to the Crypto.com Arena, and they got their man in Phil Jackson. It was Jackson who was finally able to deliver a championship for Shaq and Kobe, making them work together.

Even though the Lakers have won the same number of titles in the Crypto.com Arena as in the Forum, one can argue that The Crypt is the more successful home arena. During the years of Staples, the Lakers won the title in the first year at the Crypto.com Arena. The Lakers won three titles in a row, something they haven’t done in the Forum.

Where did the Lakers use to play?
Many people forget that the Los Angeles Lakers started their storied franchise history in Minneapolis. Ben Berger and Morris Chalfen were the original owners of the Lakers, buying the team in 1947. They disbanded the Detroit Gems and then started the Lakers franchise with an investment of just $15,000. Back then, the league was called National Basketball League or NBL. The name Lakers come from the nickname of the city of Minnesota, “the land of 10,000 Lakes”. Led by center George Mikan, who became the NBA’s first superstar, the Lakers won the title in the first two years in the league. It is worth noting that the first title came from the Basketball Association of America (BAA). The Lakers are one of the six teams remaining from the original BAA league that merged with the NBL to form the NBA.

Lakers vs Nationals Minneapolis Armory

Finals Minneapolis Lakers vs. Syracuse Nationals Minneapolis Armory

The Lakers played in Minneapolis, using the Minneapolis Auditorium as a home arena from 1948 to 1959. In the last year in Minnesota, the team went 25-50. They landed the No.2 pick in the 1960 draft, selected Jerry West, and moved to Los Angeles, becoming the first Western team to move to a different city. The Lakers won five titles while playing in Minneapolis.

In 1960, the Lakers moved from Minneapolis to Los Angeles and began playing their home games at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena at 3939 South Figueroa Street, Los Angeles, California. The Lakers played there for seven seasons from 1961 to 1967. During their years at the Los Angeles Sports Arena, the Lakers were coached by Fred Schaus, who ended his tenor coaching 560 regular season games with the Lakers and had a 315-245 record. Fred was 33-38 during the playoffs with the Lakers. The Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena held 16,161 fans during a Lakers home game.

Showtime Era

The team relied on fast breaks and won five NBA championships, led by Magic Johnson’s passing and Kareem Abdul Jabbar’s scoring.

The Lakers moved from the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena to The Forum in Inglewood as a home arena in 1968. The Forum is located just 10 miles from the current Crypto.com Arena. The Great Western Forum and Madison Square Garden are still among the two best indoor sporting venues. The Lakers shared the Forum with the NHL team, Los Angeles Kings. From 1997 to 2001, the WNBA team Los Angeles Sparks also used the Forum as a home arena. The Forum held 17,500 during a basketball game.

Lakers vs Celtics Rivalry

The history of the Lakers vs. Celtics Rivalry
The Forum was home to many of the Laker’s best-known superstars, and it was the arena that started the Lakers – Celtics rivalry. During the early years of the Forum, the Lakers battled the Celtics in the 60s but couldn’t prevail over Bill Russell.

The Lakers won their first title at the Forum in 1971-1972. The Lakers dominated the 70s and the 80s, led by superstars like Magic Johnson, Karim Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, Elgin Baylor, Gail Goodrich, and much more. During those 20 years, the Lakers missed the playoffs twice, won the title 5 times, and made the Finals four more times.

During the Great Western Forum years, the Lakers made a historic run, 33 consecutive games won. The Lakers left the Forum following the 1998-1999 season. The team did return to the Forum for an exhibition game with the Golden State Warriors in 2009. They won the title in the first season at The Forum, led by Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant. The best the Lakers won back-to-back titles at the Great Forum in 87 and 88.

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About Barry’s Tickets
Barry’s Tickets is located caddy corner from the Crypto.com Arena itself. Located inside the Luxe Hotel, it’s a fast, easy, and convenient way to pick up or purchase your regular season and Lakers tickets even after the tip-off. You can also pick up all Los Angeles basketball tickets and your Sports, Concert, and Theater tickets from our office free of any delivery charge. You can also use our Lakers seating chart to help you decide on tickets by viewing the court from all sections at the Crypto.com Arena.

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