Laker Tickets Again a Hot Item After Magic Announces Return

The Forum phones haven’t stopped ringing since Magic Johnson announced Tuesday that he is returning to the Lakers for the 1992-93 season.

While the team would not release specifics on ticket sales, spokesman John Black said single-game requests Wednesday were running about 30 times higher than for an average 24-hour period.

Also, on average, the Lakers sold one season-ticket package per half hour Wednesday, Black said. Before Johnson’s announcement, the team was selling about one package every day or so.

The reaction from Laker opponents has been slower to develop. The Clippers, who play host to the Lakers in the Nov. 6 season opener, do not begin selling individual-game tickets until Saturday.

Mike Williams, a Clipper spokesman, said the team received very few inquiries Wednesday about purchasing tickets for the Laker game.

“I can tell you that we did not have the phones ringing off the hook,” he said.

The Lakers’ first out-of-town road game is scheduled for Nov. 10 at Golden State. A Warriors’ spokesman said the game was sold out before Johnson’s announcement.

“They’re a big draw up here, whether Magic plays or not,” John Rizzardini, the team’s director of marketing, said. “But our phone traffic is heavy. We’ve said no to a lot more people.”