LOS ANGELES, June 14 (Xinhua) -- Thousands of Los Angeles Laker fans took to the street in downtown Los Angeles Sunday night to celebrate the team's 15th NBA championship.
The Lakers beat the Orlando Magic 99-86 in Orlando, Florida, taking the series four to one.
Following the game, a public service announcement ran, with Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Derek Fisher and coach Phil Jackson asking fans to "celebrate with dignity."
"This is your moment to shine," Jackson said. Police were out in force as fans celebrated in the streets and some set off fireworks. Outside the Staples Center where previous three games were held, a mosh pit developed, with fans bumping each other, and some started a small bonfire in the street, prompting police to move in and put it out.
Nearby streets were closed to traffic so fans could celebrate on Chick Hearn Court, and no arrests or injuries were immediately reported.
The main crowd began breaking up around 9 p.m., leaving behind troublemakers who were setting trees on fire and pelting police with bottles, rocks and fireworks, the local TV station KCAL9 reported.
Sunday night's celebrations were only the beginning of festivities. Lakers' fans plan a parade on Wednesday along a two- mile route from Staples Center to the Coliseum, where a rally will be held, the Los Angeles Times reported.
The Lakers and city of Los Angeles will split the cost of the parade and celebration, with both the city and the Lakers contributing about one million dollars each for the celebration, which for the first time will include the additional cost of renting the Coliseum for a rally, according to The Times.
The cost-sharing agreement came as some city officials and representatives of city workers questioned whether it made sense for Los Angeles to pay for a parade while it has a budget deficit and is considering laying off workers.
The city will pay for police, transportation and general staff, Mark Szabo, spokesman for Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, told The Times.
The Lakers and city officials attempted to keep costs down, Tim Harris, the Lakers' senior vice president for business operations and chief marketing officer, told the newspaper.
The mayor said earlier on Sunday that to not hold a parade "is untenable," even as city officials have been looking for ways to cut hundreds of millions of dollars from the city budget.
Disturbances followed Lakers championship victories in 2000, 2001 and 2002, and police and Lakers officials have already discussed crowd control measures, including lining Figueroa Street with cement or metal barriers where it passes car dealers and strip malls between Staples and the Coliseum.
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