(Above: KNX 1070's Morning Host Dick Helton Shows Off his Laker Spirit)
LOS ANGELES (CBS/AP) ― The Lakers celebrated their 2009 NBA Championship with a parade Wednesday that began at the Staples Center and ended with a Ceremony at the Coliseum with thousands of fans.
Click HERE to see photo gallery: Laker Victory Parade
Fans donning purple and gold roared with applause, cheers and whistles as Finals MVP Kobe Bryant and teammates joined the parade just after 11 a.m.
Tens of thousands of fans lined up as early as Tuesday night for the parade, and officials with the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum confirmed that the venue was filled to its capacity before the parade began. The coliseum can hold nearly 94,000 fans.
Three children were found unattended near the coliseum after the parade began. The children were being taken to the LAPD's Southwest Station, 1546 W. Martin Luther King Blvd., where parents or guardians could be reunited with them.
The $2 million parade celebrating the Lakers' 15th NBA title was paid for by the Lakers, STAPLES Center owner AEG, and private donors. The city of Los Angeles came under fire for potentially paying $1 million to patrol the event in the middle of city-wide layoffs and furloughs, but private donors stepped in to foot the bill.
Los Angeles Police Chief William Bratton warned city residents that there would be "zero tolerance" for misbehavior is the wake of violent activity – including attacks on MTA buses and patrol cars – after the Lakers clenched their final victory over the Orlando Magic in game 5 of the NBA finals.
More than 1,500 police officers were deployed to the 2.5-mile parade route from STAPLES center to the Coliseum before dawn.
Traffic was backed up throughout the morning in downtown L.A. as fans headed to the parade and drivers attempted to navigate through various closed streets.
Los Angeles police quelled an unruly crowd that tried to get into the Los Angeles Lakers' NBA victory celebration at Memorial Coliseum.
The incident occurred Wednesday after the stadium had filled and no more fans were being allowed inside.
KCAL-TV showed people climbing atop ticket booths to get in before police on horseback and in riot gear drove them back. Some in the crowd hurled bottles. KCAL reported that some officers fired non-lethal rounds.
Other officers guarded nearby gates of the Coliseum gates to prevent people inside from leaving until order was restored.
Police Chief William Bratton told the station that those involved in the disturbance were "gang-bangers."
Bratton says a number of arrests were made.
Police say no injuries were reported.
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