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Kobe celebrates Lakers NBA Championship at Disneyland

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Celebrating the best in basketball, the Disneyland Resort saluted the 2009 World Champion Los Angeles Lakers today with a victory parade down Main Street U.S.A, for Kobe Bryant, MVP of the recent NBA Finals. Kobe smiled and waved to fans as he rode on a float with Mickey Mouse and other characters.

“It’s like a dream come true to be here and celebrate at Disneyland, coming down Main Street U.S.A. with all the fans cheering,” Bryant said after the parade. “It’s a tremendous honor to represent my team.”

As part of the ‘Fairytale Series’ the presidents of the two Resorts, Ed Grier at Disneyland and Meg Crofton at Walt Disney World, made a friendly wager on the NBA Finals. On Thursday, Meg Crofton fulfilled her pledge by donning a pair of Lakers’ purple and gold Mickey Mouse ears and walking down Main Street, U.S.A., in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World. I’m hoping a photo of that will turn up somewhere.

Each of the Resorts also turned the lights of their respective castles to the team colors of the Lakers and the Magic, in celebration of the historic pairing. Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland park was glowing with Lakers purple and gold during the NBA Finals and will stay that way through Thursday night.

“I heard there was a little competition with Disneyland and Disney World and we won,” Kobe Bryant said, “so our colors are staying up a little bit longer.”

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Two of the many Lakers fans at Disneyland on Thursday were selected to ride the Matterhorn Bobsleds with Bryant after the parade. David Guerrero and his son Jonathan, 4, of Pomona, are Annual Passport holders and they came to Disneyland in their team jerseys to celebrate the Lakers’ World Championship.

“They just picked us out of the crowd and said, ‘Do you want to ride the Matterhorn with Kobe?’ I’m shaking, this is so exciting,” David Guerrero said as Jonathan jumped up and down. “In Southern California, being a Disney fan and a Lakers fan, it just goes together and that’s why we wanted to be here today.”

A short video of Kobe Bryant at Disneyland is below the cut:

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Disneyland vs Disney World NBA Finals T-shirts

Tonight is Game 3 of the Fairytale series aka the Disneyland vs Disney World NBA Finals. Here are the Disney themed t-shirt designs that are available for purchase at STAPLES Center and Amway Arena, Disneyland Resort, Walt Disney World and online at nbastore.com, orlandomagicshop.com and lakersstore.com.

Still looking for the first shots of these in the wild. They didn’t have any of them at Downtown Disney on Sunday.

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The Los Angeles Lakers get the fab four on their shirts.

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But the Orlando Magic get the classic pie-eye Mickey. Which I think is pretty cool.

Two more designs below the cut:

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Disney adds special NBA Finals shirts

Despite the first game blowout, I’m still hoping for a competitive series in the NBA Finals “Fairytale” series. It appears that Disney is as well as they’ve just unveiled a special NBA Finals T-shirt collection featuring Mickey and the gang. They’re available just in time… Read More »Disney adds special NBA Finals shirts

Friendly Wager between Disneyland and Walt Disney World ‘mayors’ for NBA playoffs

It has become a tradition among the mayors of towns involved in a sports championship to make a friendly wager hooked to which team wins out. Usually the prize is food or some sort or wearing the other teams jersey for a day. Since this is now known as the Disneyland Vs. Disney World NBA finals (a fact I’m sure makes Disney’s marketing gurus happy beyond belief despite its origin on TNT sports) it only makes sense that the ‘mayors’ of those two theme parks and resorts make their own wagers.

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Walt Disney World President Meg Crofton and Disneyland President Ed Grier have decided to take the team jersey approach and will wear Mickey Mouse ears with the opposing teams colors if their city’s team loses.

Lakers Celebration at Disneyland

I lived in Los Angeles during the Shaq/Kobe championship runs. That was quite an amazing time for a sports fan. Of course, now I live in Orlando. So who do I root for? I have to say my heart is with the Orlando Magic. They’re a great team and its a deserving community. Plus they’re named ‘Magic’ how can you get more Disney than that?

The full press release is below the cut:

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