Lakers gear rings up sales

"We were caught a bit off guard on the high demand, but that's a good thing," Levra said. "This championship is great for our city and state, especially at a time like this."

The sales bounce stretched beyond Southern California.

After the Lakers clinched the championship, NBAstore.com broke its previous sales record, set after the Boston Celtics won last year, said NBA spokeswoman Kristin Conte, who didn't give sales figures. The biggest sellers were T-shirts, hats and a replica of a towel draped over Kobe Bryant's shoulder during a postgame interview.

Some fans were having trouble ignoring the harsh economic times. News that the city would shoulder some of the financial burden for throwing today's $2-million parade brought widespread criticism given the yawning municipal budget deficit.

"People are having a tough time out there with their finances and still paying for Laker shirts," self-described die-hard Laker fan Vijay Cheriyan, a Los Angeles resident, said early Tuesday. "The team should give a little of that back by paying for all of the parade costs."

Later in the day, Los Angeles officials said private donors had stepped forward to cover most of the city's costs.

According to Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, the team already pulls its weight. During a news conference at the Lakers practice center in El Segundo, the mayor estimated that the team generated an annual economic benefit of about $150 million for the city. The parade will add $15 million more, Villaraigosa said.

Gary Toebben, chief executive of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, agrees with the mayor.

"There is going to be a lot of hot dogs, beer and jerseys sold at the parade," Toebben said. "There's about a 10% sales tax on each of those items."

But more important, he said, is that the parade is an opportunity for people from across the community to come together.

"In this economic climate," Toebben said, "it's nice to have something to cheer about."

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william.hennigan@latimes.com