Claire Rothman, the trailblazing sports manager who was irresistibly tied to the Los Angeles Lakers during their 1980s heyday, has died.
Family members confirmed his death, on Saturday, was due to complications from a fall. He was 97.
As President and General Manager of the “Fabulous Forum,” Rothman was instrumental in bringing big-name artists to Inglewood’s homes and clubhouse during the club’s heyday of the decade.
Jeanie Amabashe, the daughter of former Lakers owner Jerry Amabashe – who after the recent sale of the team served as its governor at NBA meetings – mourned the loss of Rothman, the wife he said shaped his career.
“Claire epitomized the way women work in live entertainment. She was witty, witty and irrepressible.
“For me personally, she was a mentor and a guide, helping me learn and learn an industry that was never open to women in leadership,” Buses said. “I learned an incredible amount from him as a mentor and considered one of the biggest influences in my life.”
Rothman, hired in 1975 by Lakers owner Jack Kent Cooke, became a powerful president and General Manager of the conference during the Lakers’ history. He was often seen around town wearing many of the leadership rings that the victorious party had withered. Rothman was a prominent character in the HBE series “Time to Win: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty,” played by actress Gaby Hoffmann.
“Claire Rothman is in this moment, he said:” Rebecca Bertuch, who is the writer of the show, told the times in 2022. “I mean, she’s broken barriers where people haven’t been broken and she’s famous and popular in her line of being this girl.”
Rothman is considered for her role in professional sports at a time when women were either absent or mistreated.
“I’m not really quiet,” Rothman said during a 1985 profile talk. “I’m the only woman in the United States who runs a major sports stadium. I have a lot of different jobs. I plan sports. I check sports.”
He brought great opportunities as a prince to the forum and developed relationships with entertainers including Linda Ronstadt, Neil Diamond and Lionel Richie.
“Most construction managers will never meet musicians in their lives,” Larry Vallon, then a proponent of the Universal Amphitheater, told the Times in 1985. “In their case, it has a good reputation in the industry.”
It was an amazing position for a woman who had begun to be humble in this country.
Rothman’s family fled the Romanians who faced 20 people at the beginning of the 20th century, migrating to Philadelphia, according to Magda Peck, Rothman’s mother’s cousin.
“What I remember about Claire is how important family was to her and how close she was to my mother and other cousins,” Peck said. “There’s something about modeling how women support each other, what their cousins are like across generations.”
Peck, a public health specialist, last saw Rothman a few weeks ago.
“He said, ‘We promise you’ll stay close to your cousins,'” Peck said. “Before she was famous, before she became the mother of the Lakers family, [she prioritized] number of extended family. “
Rothman died in Las Vegas, where he had settled after moving from southern California. He is survived by a son and a daughter, as well as many grandchildren and great grandchildren.
