2009 NBA Champions: Lakers victory parade and rally

Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant exults during a championship season-ending celebration at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.  (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

Pau Gasol carries the championship trophy up the stairs after the ceremony at the Coliseum.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Pau Gasol, Kobe Bryant, Josh Powell and Shannon Brown dance on stage during the championship ceremony.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

The NBA championship Lakers team arrives for their victory celebration at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.  (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

More than 90,000 fans packed the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum to celebrate the Lakers 15th NBA championship.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Lakers fans stand on a roof of a building along Figueroa St. during the victory parade.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

LAPD officers take photos of the Lakers players along Figueroa Street.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Lakers fans use creative vantage points to get a view of the victory parade.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Lakers fans cheer along Figueroa St. during the victory parade.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Laker fans show their spirit as the cheer the team during the victory parade.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Lakers guard Sasha Vujacic carries the championship trophy up the stairs of the Coliseum after the victory celebration.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Lakers fans cheer during the victory parade along Figueroa Street.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Pau Gasol rides the bus along Figueroa Street during the Lakers victoy parade.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Kobe Bryant hoists the NBA championship trophy during a celebration.  (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

Derek Fisher pumps his fist to fans while riding a bus during the Lakers championship parade.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Lakers Derek Fisher yells to fans while riding a bus during the Lakers Championship parade.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Lakers join hands as they celebrate their NBA championship victory at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

A fan wears a makeshift NBA championship trophy on his head during the celebration.  (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

Thousands of fans celebrate the Lakers 15th NBA championship at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Fans celebrate the Lakers 15th NBA championship at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

More than 90,000 fans pack the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum to celebrate the Lakers 15th NBA Championship.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Fans rush to their seats as thousands converge on the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum to celebrate the Lakers 15th NBA championship.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Aerial view of a packed Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum attending the Lakers victory rally.  (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Crowds packed Figueroa Street as the Lakers make their way to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.  (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Kobe Bryant and family, along with Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, wave to fans along South Figueroa Street atop a double-decker bus during the Lakers victory parade en route to Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Lakers’ Pau Gasol is cheered by fans along the parade route.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

The NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers roll down South Figueroa Street atop double-decker buses during the victory parade.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Fans line the street as buses pass the Staples Center during the victory parade.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Lakers fans watch as members of the team go down Figueroa Street on a bus with a police escort to the L.A. Memorial Coliseum celebration.  (Spencer Weiner / Los Angeles Times)

Fans scream as the Lakers bus passes during the parade.  (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)

A Lakers fan stuck in traffic jumped out of his car on the 10 Freeway overpass to catch a view of the parade.  (Spencer Weiner / Los Angeles Times)

The Lakers victory parade begins along Chick Hearn Court in front of Staples Center.  (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

Kobe Bryant aboard a bus at the start of the parade.  (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

Lakers fan Ram Kanji of Oxnard arrives at 6:30 a.m. on Figueroa Street for the parade.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Louis Hirota, 2, with grandfather Joe Bibby from Upland, screams, “We’re number one” near Staples Center.  (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

Josh Feenberg, 5, with dad Mike Feenberg of Calabasas showed up early at Staples Center.  (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

Tony Park, 23, of Yorba Linda, waits at Staples Center for the parade to begin.  (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

Lakers fan Adriana Calderon, 12, of Southgate, plays a little pick-up game with a giant Lakers basketball as fans line the street at Jefferson Boulevard and Figueroa Street before the parade.  (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)

Bryce Griffin, 3, of Los Angeles, practices using his binoculars as fans begin to line the street for the Lakers victory parade.  (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)

Natalie Hernandez of Simi Valley arrives early for the victory parade.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

A statue of former Laker Magic Johnson in front of Staples Center.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Fans arrive early for the victory parade on Figueroa Street.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Police line Figueroa Street before the Lakers victory parade.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)