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It was in 2002 since L.A. Lakers’ last championship. And since they beat Orlando Magic 4-1 in the 2009 NBA Finals, Lakers’ fans are gonna party hard.

L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa stated on Tuesday, June 16, 2009, that a total of $850,000.00 was given by private donors named Casey and Laura Wasserman, Jerry and Margie Perenchio, Haim and Cheryl Saban, Eli and Edyth Broad, Joe and Sharon Hernandez of Melissa’s Fruits and Vegetables, Ed and Gayle Roski and the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians. That amount would be enough to cover for the police and traffic control in the city. Another $1 million in production costs will be paid by Lakers and AEG, which owns Staple Center.

“At a time when the unemployment in the city is 12.5%, and 21,000 people have lost their homes due to foreclosures, it is important for us to celebrate this great day,” Villaraigosa said in a news conference at the Lakers practice center in El Segundo.

And then he added:

“We intend to do everything we can to minimize the cost to the city. If we hadn’t had a parade, you’ve have had a whole bevy of other people criticizing.”

The mayor and other city officials received a lot of critics regarding the possibility of using the city money for the celebration. Because of this, they sought for donations to cover up the expenses.

The Los Angeles Lakers NBA Championship victory parade will be on Wednesday, June 17, 2009, and will begin at 11am pacific time. The event starts at Staples Center and ends at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The gate of the Coliseum will open around 9:30 and they are expecting 95,000 fans to attend. So, if you’re a Lakers fan, be there early and stay away from trouble.