About Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena
Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena was an ABA, NBA and WHA arena in Los Angeles, California. It opened in 1959 and closed in 2016. It was designed by Welton Becket. Its last recorded capacity was 16,161. Tenants included Los Angeles Lakers (NBA, 1961–1967), Los Angeles Stars (ABA, 1969–1970), Los Angeles Sharks (WHA, 1973–1974) and Los Angeles Clippers (NBA, 1985–1999). In all, 4 teams from 3 leagues have called it home. On our ranked lists it ranks 9th for most tenants among 67 venues with 3 or more teams and 187th shortest-lived of 272 stadiums and arenas with known opening and closing years.
Appears in
- 9th for most tenants among 67 venues with 3 or more teams
- 187th shortest-lived of 272 stadiums and arenas with known opening and closing years
- 28th shortest-lived of 46 basketball arenas with known opening and closing years
- 58th longest single tenancy (14 years) of the 109 longest on record in basketball arenas
- 22nd shortest-lived of 40 hockey arenas with known opening and closing years
- 87th longest single tenancy (1 years) of the 100 longest on record in hockey arenas
- 25th shortest-lived of 43 NBA arenas with known opening and closing years
- 50th longest single tenancy (14 years) of the 104 longest on record in NBA arenas
- 9th shortest-lived of 11 ABA arenas with known opening and closing years
- 9th longest single tenancy (1 years) of the 14 longest on record in ABA arenas
- 7th shortest-lived of 13 WHA arenas with known opening and closing years
- 11th longest single tenancy (1 years) of the 15 longest on record in WHA arenas
Venue Information
Year Opened
Year Closed
Location
Elevation
54 m above sea level
Architect
Operator
Location derived from the venue's coordinates using data © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database Licence (ODbL).
Elevation of the venue's coordinates from USGS and NASA SRTM elevation data, via Open Topo Data.
Architect and operator credits from Wikidata.
Capacity by layout
Seating capacity depends on how the building is laid out for each event. Figures are the best sourced claim per layout.
The site today
- The site is now occupied by BMO Stadium.
From OpenStreetMap data near the venue's recorded coordinates, © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Maps show what is there now, not the old footprint.
Teams
| Team | League | Years |
|---|---|---|
|
Los Angeles Clippers While based here: 15 seasons · 395-803 regular season · 3 postseason trips
NBA · 1985–1999
|
NBA | 1985–1999 |
|
Los Angeles Sharks While based here: 2 seasons · 62-88-6 regular season · 1 postseason trip
WHA · 1973–1974
|
WHA | 1973–1974 |
|
Los Angeles Stars While based here: 2 seasons · 76-86 regular season · 1 postseason trip
ABA · 1969–1970
|
ABA | 1969–1970 |
|
Los Angeles Lakers While based here: 7 seasons · 315-245 regular season · 7 postseason trips
NBA · 1961–1967
|
NBA | 1961–1967 |
Records are each team's full-season results while it was based here, home and away games alike, from final scores. They are not records of games played at this venue.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the capacity of Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena?
The capacity of Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena is 16,161.
When was Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena built?
Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena opened in 1959.
What is on the site of Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena today?
The site is now occupied by BMO Stadium.
Who designed Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena?
Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena was designed by Welton Becket.
Who operates Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena?
Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena is operated by University of Southern California.
Where did the Los Angeles Clippers play before Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena?
Before moving to Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena in 1985, the Los Angeles Clippers played at San Diego International Sports Center from 1979 to 1984.
Where did the Los Angeles Clippers play after Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena?
After leaving Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena in 1999, the Los Angeles Clippers moved to Crypto.com Arena in 2000. They played there until 2024.
Where did the Los Angeles Sharks play after Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena?
After leaving Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena in 1974, the Los Angeles Sharks moved to Cobo Hall in 1975. They played there until 1975.
Where did the Los Angeles Stars play before Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena?
Before moving to Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena in 1969, the Los Angeles Stars played at Anaheim Convention Center in 1968.
Where did the Los Angeles Stars play after Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena?
After leaving Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena in 1970, the Los Angeles Stars moved to Salt Palace in 1971. They played there until 1976.
Where did the Los Angeles Lakers play before Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena?
Before moving to Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena in 1961, the Los Angeles Lakers played at Minneapolis Auditorium from 1949 to 1960.
Where did the Los Angeles Lakers play after Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena?
After leaving Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena in 1967, the Los Angeles Lakers moved to Great Western Forum in 1968. They played there until 1999.
Sources
Where the facts on this page were read from. How VenueStats compiles them.
- Open Topo Data (Public domain): Elevation.
- OpenStreetMap (ODbL): What stands on the site today.
- OpenStreetMap Nominatim (ODbL): Location.
- VenueStats compilation: Opening and closing years, name history and teams (compiled by VenueStats from Sports Reference and Wikipedia).
- Wikidata (CC0): Capacity, Coordinates (Wikidata places the building within 52 m of this point), Architect and operator.
- Wikimedia Commons (CC BY): Photograph.
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA): Capacity, basketball layout, Capacity, hockey layout.
Location
Nearby Venues
| Venue | Years | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum | 1923– | 0.2 mi |
| Bovard Field | 0.6 mi | |
| Wrigley Field | 1925–1969 | 1.1 mi |
| Fiesta Park | 1894–1916 | 2.2 mi |
| Crypto.com Arena | 1999– | 2.3 mi |
| Dodger Stadium | 1959– | 4.9 mi |
Straight-line distance between the venues' coordinates.
References
Teams on Wikipedia
Every source for the facts on this page is listed under Sources.