LOS ANGELES STORIES

Before the Sparks made their debut at the Forum on Saturday, there had been five previous professional basketball teams to call the Los Angeles area home. Here is a look a the teams’ home debut and how they played at the arena and in The Times:

LAKERS (NBA)

Oct. 24, 1960

at the Sports Arena

New York Knicks 111

Lakers 101

Attendance: 4,008

Story: Page 1 of Sports

Pro basketball finally comes to the West Coast, but the Lakers, with rookie Jerry West, finish with a 36-43 record and average only 5,045 in attendance. Attendance doesn’t improve to more than 10,000 a game until the 1964-65 season.

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JETS (AMERICAN BASKETBALL LEAGUE)

Oct. 30, 1961

at the Sports Arena

Jets 119

Chicago Majors 116

Attendance: 8,383

Story: Page 1 of Sports

Attendance was 6,257 when the Jet game started, with the remainder arriving for a second game featuring the Harlem Globetrotters. Despite the presence of Bill Sharman and George Yardley on the roster, the Jets disbanded midway through the first season, and the league as a whole folded in December 1963.

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ANAHEIM AMIGOS (ABA)

Oct. 29, 1967

at Anaheim Convention Center

Oakland Oaks 123

Amigos 120

Attendance: 3,176

Story: Page 9 of Sports

After finishing with a 25-53 record, and drawing few fans in their first season, the Amigos moved to Los Angeles for the 1968-69 season and changed their name to the Stars.

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STARS (ABA)

Oct. 30, 1968

at the Sports Arena

New Orleans Buccaneers 112

Stars 109

Attendance: 3,081

Story: Page 1 of Sports

Moving to Los Angeles didn’t help much; the Stars lasted only two seasons in L.A. before moving to Utah. Sharman, seemingly in love with L.A. teams, was the Stars’ coach both seasons.

CLIPPERS (NBA)

Nov.1, 1984 at Sports Arena

Clippers 107

New York Knicks 105

Attendance: 12,018

Story: Page 1 of Sports

After the Clippers move here from San Diego, Los Angeles shows it can support two NBA teams. Despite drawing sellout crowds for occasional games in Anaheim, the Clippers remain in L.A. where they average a league-low in attendance this season.

COMPILED BY HOUSTON MITCHELL