Los Angeles Lazers

Major Indoor Soccer League (1982-1989)

Tombstone

Born: June 1982 – Major Indoor Soccer League expansion franchise
Folded: June 5, 1989

First Game: November 5, 1982 (L 6-5 vs. Phoenix Inferno)
Last Game: April 16, 1989 (W 5-4 vs. Wichita Wings)

MISL Championships: None

Arena

The Forum (15,893)¹
Opened: 1967

Marketing

Team Colors: White, Black, Purple & Gold²

Television:

1984-85: None
1986-87, 1987-88 & 1988-89: Prime Ticket Cable (selected games)

Television Broadcasters:

1986-87 & 1987-88: Joel Meyers (play-by-play) & Bill MacDonald (color)

Radio:

1984-85 (English): KWVE-FM (107.9)
1984-85 (Spanish): TODO-AM (95)
1986-87: None
1987-88 (English): KMNY (1600 AM)

Radio Broadcasters:

1984-85: Bill MacDonald (English)
1984-85: Felo Ramirez & C. Gonzales (Spanish)

Ownership

Owner: Dr. Jerry Buss

Attendance

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Sources:

1985-86 MISL Official Guide (1984-85 Lazers figure)
1986-87 MISL Official Guide (1985-86 Lazers and MISL figures)
1987-88 MISL Official Guide (1982-83, 1983-84, 1984-85 & 1986-87 Lazers figures & and 1986-87 MISL figure)
1988-89 MISL Official Guide (1987-88 Lazers and MISL figures)
1989-90 MISL Official Guide (1982-83, 1983-84, 1984-85 & 1988-89 MISL figures & 1988-89 Lazers figure)

Trophy Case

MISL Rookie of the Year:

1982-83: Kirk Shermer

MISL Coach of the Year:

1984-85: Peter Wall

Our Favorite Stuff

L.A. Lazers MISL Logo T-Shirt

The Showtime Lakers weren’t the only action at the Fabulous Forum back in the 80’s. The packed winter schedule also included the NHL’s Kings and 20-odd indoor soccer matches a season from the L.A. Lazers

Also available in women’s V-neck and racerback tank styles and as a hoodie or crewneck sweatshirt from our partners at Old School Shirts!

When you make a purchase through an affiliate link like this one, Fun While It Lasted earns a commission at no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support!

Background

The Los Angeles Lazers were a Major Indoor Soccer League franchise owned by Dr. Jerry Buss for seven seasons from 1982 to 1989. Dr. Buss also owned the Los Angeles Lakers, the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings, and The Forum, the arena shared by all three teams during the winter. The Lazers name and purple/yellow color scheme were a riff/brand extension on the Lakers identity.

As he did with other “minor league” investments, Dr. Buss entrusted the management of the Lazers to his children, in this case twenty-something sons Johnny Buss (1982-1985) and Jim Buss (1985-1989) who split time as team President over the course of the club’s seven-year run.

The Lazers never quite clicked on the field, recording only one winning season (1987-88). The club also fared very poorly at the box office, typically ranking among the MISL’s weakest draws. Beginning in 1985, Los Angeles Lazers matches were shown on basic cable in the Southern California region on Prime Ticket, an all-sports channel founded by Dr. Buss.

The club folded in June 1989.