Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena
The arena in April 2007
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| Location | 3939 South Figueroa Street Los Angeles, California 90037 |
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| Coordinates | 34°00′47″N 118°17′06″W / 34.013°N 118.285°WCoordinates: 34°00′47″N 118°17′06″W / 34.013°N 118.285°W |
| Owner | State of California County of Los Angeles City of Los Angeles |
| Operator | University of Southern California |
| Capacity |
Basketball: 16,161 Ice hockey: 14,546 Boxing/Wrestling: 16,740 |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | April 7, 1958 |
| Opened | July 4, 1959 |
| Closed | March 19, 2016 |
| Demolished | September 2016 |
| Construction cost | US$8.5 million ($69.8 million in 2017 dollars) |
| Architect | Welton Becket |
| Structural engineer | Brandow and Johnson |
| General contractor | L.E. Dixon Company |
| Tenants | |
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USC Trojans basketball (NCAA) (1959–2006) UCLA Bruins basketball (NCAA) (1959–1965, 2011–2012) Los Angeles Lakers (NBA) (1960–1967) Los Angeles Blades (WHL) (1961–1967) Los Angeles Kings (NHL) (1967) Los Angeles Stars (ABA) (1968–1970) Los Angeles Sharks (WHA) (1972–1974) Los Angeles Strings (WTT) (1974) Los Angeles Aztecs (NASL) (1980–1981) Los Angeles Clippers (NBA) (1984–1999) Los Angeles Cobras (AFL) (1986) Los Angeles Ice Dogs (IHL) (1995–1996) Los Angeles Temptation (LFL) (2009–2011) |
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The Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena was a multi-purpose arena at Exposition Park, in the University Park neighborhood of Los Angeles. It was located next to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and just south of the campus of the University of Southern California, which managed and operated both venues under a master lease agreement with the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Commission. Demolition of the arena began in September 2016.
The arena was opened in 1959 by Vice President Richard Nixon on July 4 and its first event followed four days later, a bantamweight title fight between José Becerra and Alphonse Halimi on July 8. It became a companion facility to the adjacent Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and home court to the Los Angeles Lakers of the NBA from October 1960 to December 1967, the Los Angeles Clippers also of the NBA from 1984 to 1999, and the Los Angeles Kings of the NHL from October to December 1967 during their inaugural 1967–68 season. It was the home for college basketball for the USC Trojans from 1959 to 2006 and the UCLA Bruins from 1959 to 1965 and again as a temporary home in the 2011–2012 season. It also hosted the Los Angeles Aztecs of the NASL played one season of indoor soccer (1980–81), the Los Angeles Blades of the Western Hockey League from 1961 to 1967, the Los Angeles Sharks of the WHA from 1972 to 1974, the Los Angeles Cobras of the AFL in 1988, and the original Los Angeles Stars of the ABA from 1968 to 1970. The arena played host to the top indoor track meet on the West Coast, the annual Los Angeles Invitational track meet (frequently called the "Sunkist Invitational", with title sponsorship by Sunkist Growers, Incorporated), from 1960 until the event's demise in 2004. Since the Trojans' departure, the arena assumed a lower profile. The arena still continued to hold high school basketball championships, as well as concerts and conventions. The UCLA men's basketball team played a majority of their home games at the Sports Arena during the 2011–12 season while Pauley Pavilion underwent renovation.
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