For Lakers-Celtics Game 7, police will be out in full force
Amid all the yellow and purple on Thursday, there also will be a lot of blue.
Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck said Wednesday that he would deploy hundreds of extra officers to the NBA championship game between the Lakers and Boston Celtics in an attempt to dissuade fans from gathering outside the Staples Center.
After the Lakers won the title last year, fans outside the Staples Center threw rocks and bottles, vandalized and looted. When the Lakers won the championship in 2000 for the first time in 12 years, fans destroyed two police cars and damaged more than 70 others vehicles while rioting.
Beck, however, said he doesn't expect any problems this year.
-- Melissa Rohlin
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Photo: Lakers fans celebrate outside the Staples Center in 2000. Credit: Lori Shepler / Los Angeles Times
