HBO’s “Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty” is a ten-part drama series that depicts the rise of the Los Angeles Lakers and their dominance in the 1980s. The show features an ensemble cast and picks up in 1979 when Jerry Buss bought the team. Viewers are also introduced to Claire Rothman, played by Gaby Hoffmann, who would later become the President and CEO of The Forum (the place where the Lakers played their home games). Claire has become one of the most influential people in her field. So if you’re curious to know more about her, we’ve got you covered.
Who is Claire Rothman?
Claire got married shortly after graduating from high school and skipped college, choosing to work for her husband’s hospitality and catering business instead. They raised a son and daughter together, and Claire put most of her effort into the business. She said, “We had all the major hotels and hospitals in Philadelphia and Atlantic City as customers. I was in finance. I managed the files, I supervised the comptroller, so I had all this business experience. I was married for 20 years and worked all the time.
In 1967, after a divorce, Claire began working for the Spectrum Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania as an accountant. In a year and a half, she was promoted to business manager. The work that Claire did in her ex-husband’s company proved to be an asset in her new job. She said: “I had a sense of big numbers. In a household you think of an electric bill – $10, $12 – but at the Spectrum it was $75,000 a year to heat the building. It wasn’t that mind-blowing to me because my husband had a big business, a multi-faceted business.
After working in Florida and Ohio, Claire was hired by then Forum owner Jack Kent Cooke in 1975. In fact, it was Claire who put Jerry Buss in touch with Jack. This meeting led to Jerry buying the Forum and the Lakers in one of the biggest sales in franchise sports history. Claire eventually became president of the Forum. His work included scheduling home games for the Lakers and Kings (an NHL franchise) in addition to filling empty dates with various artists.
Claire landed many famous artists at the time, including Prince and Duran Duran, and she had a knack for keeping guest artists happy. As well as being well-connected, Claire had deals with local promoters which meant there was no shortage of amazing acts visiting the Forum. Still considered one of the best in the business, Larry Vallon, then vice president of the Universal Amphitheater in California, said, “Many building managers won’t meet artists in their entire lives. In Claire’s case, the artists go out of their way to meet her. She has an amazing reputation in the industry.
Where is Claire Rothman now?
Claire left the Forum in 1995 to take up a position at Ticketmaster before retiring in 1999. Since then, she has served on the boards of various forums and companies including the Music Center of Los Angeles County and Reprise Theater Company, among others. Now 90, Claire lives with her husband, Edwin Hill, in Las Vegas, Nevada. They have been together for nearly four decades. She enjoyed her retirement by visiting live shows and spending time with friends. Claire also spoke about “Winning Time” and another Lakers documentary, saying, “I can’t wait to see them both because any publicity can be good publicity.”
Read more: Where is Jeanie Buss now?
