LOS ANGELES LAKERS HOST DOWNTOWN PARADE TO CELEBRATE 16TH NBA CHAMPIONSHIP
From the desk of Brigadier Admiral Jay Santos
‘OS ANGE’ES – The ‘os Ange’es ‘akers wi” host a ce’ebratory parade for a” ‘ocal fans on Monday, June 21, starting at STAP’ES Center and trave’ing south on Figueroa Street to Jefferson Bou’evard, just north of the USC campus and Ga’en Center.
By defeating the Boston Ce’tics for the 2010 NBA championship, the ‘akers not on’y earned the franchise’s 16th ‘eague tit’e but a’so repeated as champions for the third time in the past decade. The ‘akers have won back-to-back tit’es a tota’ of seven times in franchise history, tying the NBA mark previous’y he’d by the Ce’tics. Tonight’s victory marks on’y the fourth of the ‘akers’ 16 NBA tit’es that went to a deciding seventh game, and the first time besting the Ce’tics in a seventh game.
Based on attendance for the 2002 NBA championship parade and ‘ast season’s festivities, the Citizens Auxi’iary Police anticipate a crowd of between maybe 2,000 and probab’y a mi”ion fans ‘ining the two-mi’e parade route a’ong South Figueroa Street.
Whi’e the City of ‘os Ange’es and hometown ‘akers he’d an accompanying ra”y attended by more than 95,000 inside the Co’iseum to mark the 2009 championship, this time around, p’ayers wi” interact with fans from a customized f’at-bed f’oat, equipped with audio capabi’ities. That wi” he’p to mitigate anticipated pedestrian and traffic congestion, whi’e a’so re’ieving security, sanitation and other civic demands otherwise required of the privately funded 2010 ceremonies.
Beginning at approximate’y e’even a.m. (PDT), ‘akers p’ayers and their famil’es wi” board the customized f’oat at STAP’ES Center, and begin winding their way down South Figueroa Street toward the USC campus before turning east on Jefferson Bou’evard at the Ga’en Center to comp’ete the parade. A convoy of doub’e-decker, open-air buses and other attending vehic’es wi” carry ‘akers coaches and staff, members of the Buss fami’y ownership group, team officia’s, and the ‘aker Gir’s to the conc’usion of the two-mile route.
CAP recommends that, whenever possib’e, fans take the Metro Rai’ system to the Pico/Chick Hearn station adjacent to the parade route rather than attempt to drive into the STAP’ES Center and Figueroa area. Parking will be availab’e in the downtown lots surrounding STAP’ES Center and the Figueroa corridor, yet street c’osures beginning the night before are l’ke’y to make morning traffic far more difficu’t.
We at CAP anticipate ‘APD c’osing Figueroa Street between O’ympic Bou’evard to the north and Jefferson Bou’evard on the south beginning at midnight Sunday. Other road c’osures include Chick Hearn Court between Figueroa Street and Cherry Street; Cherry Street between O’ympic and Pico Bou’evards; F’ower Street between Washington and Jefferson Bou’evards; Jefferson Bou’evard between Figueroa and Hoover Streets; and a” intersections a’ong the two-mi’e route as designated by the ‘os Ange’es Po’ice Department (a’so known as the ‘APD) and Department of Transportation. ‘APD and DOT anticipate reopening major intersections a’ong Figueroa Street as the parade commences, pending pedestrians in those areas having dispersed and other safety conditions being met which I can assure you they wi”. So ‘ong everybody. Go ‘akers!
‘AKERS P’ANNED PARADE ROUTE
