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The Championship Parade In Photos

by


Yesterday I was able to make the trek from Bakersfield to Los Angeles for the parade. I brought my D5000 and picked up my sister along the way and set out to celebrate with the 2010 NBA World Champion Lakers. Unfortunately, unlike past years, the parade didn’t end with a rally, but we had a good time nonetheless. As far as the number of people who attended, the latest estimation I heard was about 1 million people. Without further adu, here’s a photo essay of my time at the parade.

 

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We decided to head to the Staples Center first and work our way down Figueroa to get to the Convention Center, the area where we watched the parade from.

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Home, sweet home — and A LOT of cops.

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My sister couldn’t resist posing with one of the little characters from “Dispicable Me”.

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We got our fair share of buzzing at the parade. It wasn’t on the World Cup level, but the vuvuzelas were going strong for the Champs.

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The nerve… We don’t even see the green during the parade.

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Again, there were A LOT of cops.

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Full force.

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The sea of Forum Blue and Gold was amazing to see.

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There were definitely some characters at the parade. This guy was hilarious.

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The creativity of Lakers fans.

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Kobe-dog

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Best seats at the parade.

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This is NOT Pau Gasol.

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The media was going to need a pencil bigger than this one to write off the Lakers this year.

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These guys were the loudest non-vuvuzela blowing fans I heard at the parade.

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Just saw the Good Year blimp, and it read Ice Cube’s a… err.. Lakers are champs.

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It was crazy packed.

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I was lucky to get this spot. Head above the others.

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It’s unbelievable how united a city can become because of a sports team.

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I loved this. Finger wrapped and all.

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The ubiquitous Lakers girls.

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Kobe greeting the people. You wouldn’t believe how happy he looked on that float.

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How many rings do you have now, Kobe? Five? Damn, that’s a grip.

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I was trying to figure out if it was Sasha or Ron who brought Delonte West.

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Magic was jubilant as always.

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A.C. Green… and some women.

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Kareem was the exact opposite of Kobe. Looked like he was brainstorming ideas for his next book: 1,000,001 Things To Do Instead Of Being In a Parade

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And there it is, Congrats to the Lakers who brought home the title for the 16th time.


Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. robinred says

    Good pix.

    I just went to youtube to watch 2009 stuff again. That must have cost a fortune, but that was the best–the team coming down the steps into the Coliseum, with the court on the Coliseum floor.

  2. Jacob says

    Man, that picture of “Pau” is convincing. Great to see everyone in LA enjoying the championship.

  5. magicman says

    Is that Marge (no, not Simpson, Hearn!) in the pic with Kareems “happy” face???

  7. Matt R. says

    Look at some of those Kobe pics and notice how crooked the index finger is on his right hand.

    UGH! Get that fixed Kobe!

  9. Benjamin says

    Okay, someone’s gotta say it.

    Did we bring Delonte West because he helped us win by destroying the Cavs from within? Undercover assignment?

  12. jon says

    A friend just sent me this from their trip to Boston last Thursday. “Lakertime in Boston, Game 7.” The rest of the bar is chanting, “F#ck that table!” Followed up with a quick retort of, “we love haters!” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwiRkoRZ2YU

    But they were actually really nice and didn’t stab any body; good times.

  13. The Dude Abides says

    Awesome set of photos, Phillip. That Pau impersonator is trippy.
    @7. And yes, Kobe finally admitted for the first time (on NBA TV right after Game 7) that he cannot grip a basketball without wearing a wrap on his finger. Please get that thing fixed, Kobe. Also, I wonder if sitting in the sun for a few hours is OK for Kareem’s health. Leukemia ain’t no picnic.

  14. joel r says

    haha, i ran into the pau gasol impersonator at the rally last year. its cool how he showed up again

  15. Tra says

    Mr. Green with the uncoordinated ‘Fro. For future reference A.C., ask your Barber if he’s familiar with a ‘Temple Taper.’

  17. Mimsy says

    @13,
    I saw that interview! 🙂 He said right after, if I remember right, that he’s going to have it looked at in the off-season, because if he leaves it the way it is right now, he won’t be able to play at all next year.

  18. lil' pau says

    OT, but…

    ESPN is reporting that PJ’s daughter is saying that she thinks Phil will retire. The quote is something like, ‘That’s it, I really think he’s done this time’, although that’s from memory.

    Saw it about an hour ago.

  19. chibi says

    there’s a fanhouse article up quoting Shannon Brown’s agent Mark Bartelstein. The gist of it is he expects Shannon to opt out.

  20. kehn says

    Off to the local karaoke spot… since they don’t have “champion”, I’m just gonna have to sing “I Love L.A.”

  21. chearn says

    I love the pictorial! You must be a professional photographer because those pictures were clear and they told a story!

    Great job encapsilizing the Los Angeles Laker Nation pride!

  22. the other Stephen says

    great, great photos and captions to go along with them!

    kareem, lose the scowl already! he’s been wearing it ever since last thursday!

  23. chearn says

    @22 Maybe, Kareem’s worried about losing his student Andrew Bynum! Anyway, Kareem is who he is!

  24. V.I. Guy says

    Geez, man, who’d have thought the Pau impersonator would have an impersonator?

    22. Cap’s not scowling, that’s how he smiles…6 time NBA MVP, 6 rings…he is the man…

    If Drew can stay healthy, we have a front court for the ages…and The Mamba…

  26. chibi says

    awoj and espn reporting mutual interest between raja bell and the lakers.

    i don’t know quite what to make of this. kupchak isn’t the type to let this leak. maybe this is an agent’s ploy to coax a would-be suitor for raja’s services to meet his client’s demands.

    anyway, raja is very good fit for the triangle.

  28. Mark says

    TMac for the offense and Raja Bell for the defense?

    DAMN! So we talking about 7 to 10 championships from now on right?

    If we get those two, teams would be just DEAD MEAT, even without the heart like the Lakers do time and time again, they’d be DEAD MEAT. Couple that with determination to three-peat and add rings like crazy then teams would be DOUBLE DEAD MEAT. Seriously.

    Raja is a player I would kill for, he is perfect for the triangle and is the more groomier version of Sasha Vujacic, really pisses his opponents off.

  29. JeremyLA24 says

    I’m just not ready to move on from this Championship season. I feel like it was just yesterday all us FB&G’ers were scared out of our minds that we ended the season in a loss to the Clippers. Not to mention that terrible losing streak we were had in March and April… Now, here we are talking about legacies, parades, and one of the most fulfilling Post season runs I’ve witnessed in my lifetime. I mean honestly, how many people have lost memory of Kobe’s brilliant performance against the Suns enroute to our 05′-06′ revenge and a triumphent butt pat to Al Gentry. I understand, that’s what happens when you go 7 games in the finals against Baastan.

    Unfortunately it seems that the media and fans are all of a few moments away from calling our 2010 championship yesterday’s news. Before we start talking about all that fun off season stuff (you know, aquiring Lebron with the MLE and all,) I’d love to see a seaon recap post

    Kobe’s on slaught of game winners, injuries, losses to major teams, Artest going from best 3pt shooter on our team to the worst, etc… Plenty of substance but Just a suggestion.

  30. Snoopy2006 says

    Raja’s over the hill. He got slower and slower defensively over the years, and while injuries may have played a part, he’s not the Raja Bell we remember from 2006. For a minimum contract, I don’t have really a problem with it. I just wouldn’t be expecting lockdown defense and clotheslines on Lebron.

    Josh Powell really shouldn’t be back based on his contributions, but I agree with Zephid – he’ll most likely be back based on his relationship with Kobe. Emotions aside, I’d rather have young bigs from the draft as our 4th and 5th big men. With younger players, there’s a chance of slow development and a bigger role in the future. With Powell and Mbenga, they are who they are, and that won’t change. From a basketball POV, I woulda rather kept a guy like Elonu and watched him closely.

    This offseason will be interesting. Some champions can stay pat, but I’m a big believer in needing some more pieces. So it’ll be fun to see how creative Kupchak can get. My honest prediction? We might keep a 2nd-round pick, but I can’t see us signing any FAs. Buss’s wallet has been stretched enough already.

    Isn’t Sasha an expiring contract next year, though? A mid-season trade might not be out of the question, if so.

  31. Snoopy2006 says

    A guy I love, but we don’t really have a need for: Jeff Foster.

    That’s a guy whose rebounding and blue-collar blue is a perfect ingredient for a championship team. I think of him like a center version of Udonis Haslem. But it’d be pointless to bring him here (unless we do end up bringing Bosh for Drew, which I doubt). But I do hope he escapes Indiana, that guy is a warrior.

  32. Mark says

    Snoopy,

    I agree to some extent. Though, Raja is a lesser version of Battier (his importance doesn’t translate to stats), you would love a guy like him who fights and fights and never gives up.

    Plus, Darko Milicic is a player I would kill for (a good, quality backup center), he’s a European, and he may well suit this triangle offense more than any center in this league.

  33. Snoopy2006 says

    Mark – no doubt, and for the right price, I don’t have a problem with Bell as our backup 2. I just think he was made to guard a player like Kobe. He’s a physical defender, not a quick one, so he can’t really guard PGs (on those Phx teams, it was Marion that guarded Parker, not Bell). And he’s a bit too small to fight guys like Lebron on equal footing. So it’s tough to say what his niche is defensively. But I definitely think he can add versatility and options to a lineup.

    The tough choice is if it comes down to picking up Bell or McGrady. We have no idea how much either of these players has left. I’ll save my thoughts on McGrady for a FA thread, but as elated as I was at the possibility earlier in the year, I’ve come back down to earth since then.

    I’ve been away from FB&G for a bit and missed a few posts, so just wanted to say kudos to Jeff on a great post honoring Andrew Bynum. You know what’s funny? I didn’t realize it until Mimsy mentioned it, but I’d totally forgotten about how bad Bynum’s body language used to be. He’d flap his arms and shrug helplessly and jog back after every whistle that went against him. Drew underwent such a seismic shift in personality and mental focus that I truly forgot what he used to play like. Much respect to Drew for his dedication to this franchise.

    Another commentor pointed it out – Drew even said “I didn’t want to do surgery, because I’m a slow healer and 2 weeks recovery time might turn into 4-5 for me.” That really is great self-awareness. You could even argue Kobe’s greatest weakness is something his lack of self-awareness, of not really understanding his limitations. People slammed Drew as being soft for taking so long to heal. For Drew to take a step back and acknowledge all of that with clear perspective is remarkable.

  34. sT says

    Yeah, it was a really cool parade, everybody having lot’s and lot’s of fun and all united in celebrating. Great pictures…

  35. Buttas says

    Great call on Drew Snoopy. The kid has truly matured in what seems to be such a short time. He could have went the way of so many other kid players with tremendous upside who skipped college, but didn’t.

    He has learned so much and I can only hope that Kareem continues the lessons both on and off the court.

  36. Hillary Ocholla says

    Great photos!! Really hasn’t sunk in for me that the Lakers beat the Celtics. 2008 NBA Finals killed my spirit so bad, this was the ultimate victory & redemption.

    At least some of you can already talk about players going in and out but man…………….I’m just too happy for the Lakers right now to think about anything else.

  38. BrianQ says

    Great pics Phillip! That D5000 is an awesome piece of tech huh?

    @29 (JeremyLA24) I agree, it still feels weird to have jumped forward already. A season recap in the way only FB&G can do would most definitely be appreciated.

  39. Aaron says

    Re: Offseason Moves

    *This is a business. Buss has to pretend he wants to lower the teams salary right now so he has some leverage with Jackson and his players.

    *Make no mistake… the Lakers will be looking for a new starting PG. Fisher will be brought back for the minimum as Buss is not going to pay Fish more than he has to and no other team will probably even offer Fisher a contract.

    *The Lakers will most likely be looking for a long athletic SG who can shoot from the outside and guard PG’s (the only players who can effectively guard PG’s are SG’s due to length and strength) to fill the hole at the point like an Anthony Morrow or John Salmons for the MLE. If they bring in Bell it will be for the minimum to play back up minutes. They know they need a younger, more athletic player to infuse life to an older starting lineup as Ariza did a year ago.

  40. Don says

    Thanks for the pics! Looks awesome. I really wish I could be there for one of these parades. Good thing I’m moving to irvine in the fall which means hopefully it will happen again!

  41. mikeinchitown says

    uh oh

    ESPNLosAngeles.com

    Days after winning his 11th NBA championship, Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson said Wednesday his retirement is a distinct possibility.

    “I’m leaning towards retiring but I have not made up my mind,” Jackson said.

    Jackson, who has won five titles with the Lakers and six titles with the Chicago Bulls, has flirted with retirement in recent years. He has been open throughout the season about the toll the NBA schedule takes on him physically.

  43. Igor Avidon says

    Is this Phil posturing to receive a smaller paycut than Buss would like? Ahh Phil and his wonderful mind games.

  45. 91601guy says

    hopefully this will not be a repeat of Jerry West, who also “retired” after a $ dispute only to reappear in Memphis shortly thereafter