(Sports Network) - The streets of Los Angeles were packed with throngs of Lakers fans Wednesday to share in the celebration of the franchise's 15th NBA championship after LA finished off Orlando in Game 5 of the Finals on Sunday.

The nearly three-mile parade route stretched from the Staples Center and down Figueroa Street to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, home to USC football, where a capacity crowd of close to 95,000 awaited a formal gathering of the championship squad.

Players and team brass packed onto double-decker buses draped with championship banners as fans ran alongside the sometimes brisk procession down Figueroa Street hoping to catch a glimpse of the Larry O'Brien Trophy hoisted by Kobe Bryant. Bryant, named the MVP of the championship series, captured his fourth title and first without the help of Shaquille O'Neal, while coach Phil Jackson notched a record 10th NBA title, surpassing the legendary Red Auerbach.

The win added yet another chapter to the Lakers' storied history, leaving the franchise only two titles shy of Boston's all-time record of 17. It was also a sense of redemption for the Lakers, who lost in the Finals to the Celtics last year. It's their first time raising the trophy since 2002, the last of three consecutive championships.

The parade which cost an estimated $2 million, almost didn't happen after critics were complaining about the city being a half-billion dollars in debt and struggling labor market, forcing private donors to step in and pay for much of the cost.

Funding was provided in part by billionaire developers Eli Broad and Ed Roski, who forked over $850,000, the Lakers and AEG, a unit of the Anshutz Co. that owns Staples Center, chipped in $1 million in production costs.

When arriving at the Coliseum, most of the players, including Bryant, Derek Fisher and others made their way down a short walkway accompanied by family members to a waiting area prior to taking the basketball court platform.

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa made some brief opening remarks to rally the fans before turning the microphone over to Lakers play-by-play announcer Joel Meyers, who introduced the team individually.

Jackson was the first to speak and expressed his admiration for the city of LA.

"To the community of LA, the greater Los Angeles basin, join us in the celebration," Jackson said. "We hope our fans do not disturb you and celebrate creatively, not destructively."

Fisher, Luke Walton, Jordan Farmar and Pau Gasol each took turns firing up the fans, before Bryant took the microphone.

"We have a young team, a team that has a lot of chemistry and we're all hungry," Bryant said. "We feel the energy of the city and we want to do this thing again-and-again. So, we'll be back next year ready to go."

Bryant then huddled his teammates in the middle of the basketball court platform and led them in a 1-2-3 win chant to conclude the ceremony.



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