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Even before the parade got underway news agencies in Los Angeles reported that the Coliseum was at max capacity, and traffic from most parts of the city headed towards Downtown was backed up before and all through the a.m. commute. People bedecked in purple and gold lined the streets, shouting and waving as any reporter and camera crew passed by. After the players boarded the bus and greeted the adoring fans at the Staples Center, the parade made its way just over 2 miles southbound on Figueroa, where those assembled were first greeted to performances from the Lakers Girls and had lots of opportunities to shout their devotion to our winning team.
The crowd at the Coliseum erupted in a mix of booing and cheers as Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa was announced. His duties were to amp up the crowd even more (if that could have been possible) and to announce the arrival of the 15-time NBA champs to the center of the arena. The players and coaches were introduced one by one and greeted with deafening cries of adoration and appreciation. And of course, it wouldn't be a local sports team victory without a little Randy Newman to remind us that he, like so many of us, loves L.A.
