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LA's "Celebration" After Lakers' Win
By
Jen Chung
Published Jun 15, 2009
Modified Jun 15, 2009
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By
Jen Chung
Published Jun 15, 2009
Modified Jun 15, 2009
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After the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Orlando Magic for the NBA Championship last night, Los Angelenos apparently decided that celebrating equaled setting garbage on fire, jumping on cars, tearing down street signs, breaking into and looting stores, and tagging buildings. We hear that police basically let people throw things at them, only intervening to put fires out; LAPD police chief William Bratton, who is a former NYC police commissioner, said, "Officers tonight used minimal levels of force..behaving very professionally," also calling the revelers "knuckleheads" and "cowards." (Was nothing learned after the 2000 win?) Newsday's Neil Best blogged, "Thank you, Los Angeles for the timely reminder - 15 years to the day since the Rangers won the Stanley Cup - that New York consistently is better behaved in celebrating sports championships than are other, less civilized burgs." Damages are estimated to be at least $1 million.
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basketball
la
Los Angeles Lakers
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sports celebration
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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