Lakers win their 15th Championship, but can LA hold a parade?

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Orlando Magic by a final score of 99-86 in Game 5 of the 2009 NBA Finals to win their 15th NBA Championship 4 games to 1.

However, can Los Angeles hold a parade for them? As most people know, California is under a severe monetary crisis, where municipal workers have been laid off or are forced to take unpaid days off.

Los Angeles City CouncilWoman Jan Perry tells the L.A. Times that "they can't afford to cover the costs" and "how can we make a decision about people's jobs and then sponsor the parade?"

Councilman Bernard C. Parks, however, says that it's likely L.A. won't have a choice, since an NBA Championship does not happen everyday. Additionally, the city will want to celebrate the Lakers' latest championship. Plus, the city won't be able to negotiate a contract with the Lakers or anyone else to sponsor the parade, and thereby, absorb the bulk of the cost for it, within the short amount of time, as the parade is projected to likely be this Tuesday, June 16.

The last Lakers parade for the championship the Lakers won in 2002 cost the city $1.1 million. There is a proposal in the city council that would allow the city to reduce the size of the subsidies the city would give for special events, such as parades, but it will only come to a vote this week and will not go into effect in time for this parade, thereby virtually ensuring that the city would be on the hook for the entire cost.

As Barbara Maynard, spokeswoman for the Coalition of L.A. City Unions, told the L.A. Times, "...We do not believe it is appropriate in this economic climate for taxpayers to be funding a parade."

This championship for the Lakers is like a double-edged sword; certainly the city of Los Angeles and its fans are very happy that the team has won its 15th NBA Championship, but the city is certainly dreading the cost of the resulting parade in this economic climate. It's too bad that the city didn't foresee this sooner and work out some negotiation with the Lakers or with the NBA in order for either or both to fund the parade, or at least, part of the cost. This way, the taxpayers and the city of L.A. would not have to endure more hardship during this difficult economic period in order to enjoy the Lakers' latest championship.