If you watch sports at all (or hang out with people who do) you probably know by know that the Lakers have won their 16th NBA title.
As the AP reports, they’ll be celebrating downtown with a parade Monday:
The players and their families will board a customized float at Staples Center and wind their way two miles down South Figueroa Street toward the campus of Southern California, ending at the school’s Galen Center.
Players will interact with fans from the float that will be equipped with audio. Lakers officials said that will help mitigate anticipated pedestrian and traffic congestion, while also relieving security, sanitation and other public services that were required last year.
In 2009, the privately funded parade and rally attended by more than 95,000 people was held at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
Although the Lakers said they’re hosting the parade, it wasn’t immediately clear who is footing the bill this year.
In the meantime, ecstatic game-goers are starting their own celebrations, with things getting a bit out of control at the Staples Center, including bonfires and some fights.
Police were prepared for this possibility, with LAPD members and sheriff’s deputies deployed for the event. Last year, the festivities turned violent. This year, they’ve already declared unlawful assembly.
This year, sports fans weren’t the only ones excited for the games. Downtown businesses also saw them as a way to make money.
You can see photos of the game here, courtesy of KPCC:
The Lakers game wasn’t the only one to draw rowdy crowds today.
Fans also turned out to celebrate Mexico’s World cup victory over France – leading to clashes with police in Huntington Park.
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