A Strapped L.A. Won’t Pay for Laker Parade

Kobe Bryant and the Lakers brought the NBA championship trophy back to Los Angeles and with it cause for celebration, but how can a city struggling to make ends meet justify the traditional $2 million victory parade? By making the team and private donors pay for it.

Los Angeles Times:

Over the weekend, city officials urged the owners of the Lakers and Anschutz Entertainment Group, which owns Staples Center, to pick up the tab for the celebration. The two already pledged to pay more than $1 million in parade production costs.

The parade is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Staples Center and travel to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

Sources told The Times two media executives and several other people stepped forward to help the city pay for its share of the parade celebrating the Lakers’ 15th championship.

Read more

AP photo / David J. Phillip

Kobe Bryant celebrates his fourth NBA title and first finals MVP award.