by Webmaster

Congratulations to the Lakers

During the past five days, Los Angeles and the State of California have been in the limelight for the right reasons. The Lakers' NBA Finals victory over the Boston Celtics last Thursday gave us all cause to celebrate and rekindle memories of a legendary franchise that has made Los Angeles proud for more than 50 years.

The L.A. Area Chamber congratulates the Buss family, General Manager Mitch Kupchak, Coach Phil Jackson, MVP Kobe Bryant and the entire Lakers' team on the 16th NBA championship for the purple and gold. We especially congratulate Phil Jackson on his 11th championship, a record for NBA coaches.

The Lakers are like so many of our assets in Southern California; we often take them for granted. That's why yesterday's parade was so important. The fans had a chance to say thank you to the team in a positive celebration, and the team had a chance to feel the enthusiasm and support of our entire community. We applaud the Lakers' organization for stepping up to underwrite the parade, and we thank the members of the police and sheriff's departments for the crowd control and safety they provided to the excited fans along the route and after Thursday night’s game.

Nothing brings a city together like a winning sports team. People of all ages who don't know each other, speak different languages, and vote for opposing political parties share a common bond when rooting for their team. Yesterday, a virtual United Nations of fans celebrated the Lakers’ victory during the parade from Staples Center to the USC campus.

Professional sports victories are not only good for our community pride, they are important to the economy of our region. The recently released economic impact report done by the Los Angeles Sports Council and the Chamber on college and professional sports in Los Angeles found the economic impact was in excess of 4 billion dollars each and every year. Sporting events have played a key role in bolstering our tourism trade and they are major anchors for our hotels, restaurants and other area attractions.

An NBA championship cannot single-handedly turn around an economy or solve the state budget crisis, but it serves an important role in bringing us together. It also bolsters our pride and our morale, in addition to our economy. Thanks again to the Lakers, and congratulations from all of us at the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce.

And that's The Business Perspective.