CASEYSOWN: JUNE RECAP

OKAY KIDDOS. BACK ON TRACK...AFTER FALLING OFF FOR A BIT. HERE'S WHAT WENT DOWN THE LATER HALF OF JUNE. IN CASE YOU WERENT AWARE, I'M A BIG LOS ANGELES LAKERS FAN & YUP THEY WON THE NBA CHAMPIONSHIP. & I TOLD MYSELF (& SOME OTHERS) THAT IF WHEN THEY WIN THE CHAMPIONSHIP I'M FLYING OUT TO LA FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP PARADE. & THAT I DID! TOTALLY LAST MINUTE, & WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A 12-HOUR TRIP W/ HELP FROM MELVYN (MY AMERICAN AIRLINE HOOKUP FAMILY MEMBER, THANKS!). HERE'S WHAT WENT DOWN:

JUNE 16: WENT TO THE AIRPORT AT NOON TO TRY A FLIGHT TO LA. DIDNT MAKE THE NOON FLIGHT OR THE 2PM FLIGHT BUT FINALLY GOT ON BOARD (THE LAST OPEN SEAT) FOR THE EVENING FLIGHT OUT! AHH...THE ROLLERCOASTER RIDE AKA STANDBY FLYING.

JUNE 17:

LANDED AT LAX AT 5AM. MY FELLOW LAKER FAN, JAMES, DROVE UP FROM SAN DIEGO TO MEET UP & JOIN ME FOR SOME LAKERS CELEBRATION...REPPING HIS LAKERS FLAG THE WHOLE RIDE UP.

ON THE WAY TO STAPLES CENTER, LOADS OF PIGS WERE IN ATTENDANCE.

YESSIR! MADE IT THERE.

WOW! & I THOUGHT I WAS ALL OUT. THIS FAMILY CUSTOMIZED THEIR BABY'S CARRIAGE.

THIS DUDE WAS STROLLING ON HIS LAKERS THEME LOWRIDER W/ STEREO BLAZING, FLAGS FLAPPING & CHAMPIONSHIP RING IN HAND.

COPS GALORE. THEY WERENT GONNA LET THERE BE ANOTHER RIOT LIKE WHAT HAPPENED A FEW DAYS BEFORE. IF YOU DIDNT KNOW, HERE'S THE RIOT LINK.

I WAS ABLE TO SNAP THIS SHOT OF JESUS IN HIS PURPLE & YELLOW.

WE CAME A BIT EARLY SO WE WERE ABLE TO POST UP RIGHT AT THE FRONT (& WAITED FOR 2 1/2 HOURS TIL THE PARADE STARTED).

& SO IT BEGINS!

BUS #1: DEREK FISHER.

BUS #1: LUKE WALTON.

BUS #2: PAU GASOL.

BUS #2: SHANNON BROWN, KAREEM ABDUL JABAR.

BUS #3: DJ MBENGA, SASHA VUJACIC.

BUS #4: JOSH POWELL.

BUS #4: LAMAR ODOM.

BUS #5: ANDREW BYNUM.

BUS #5: JORDAN FARMAR, TREVOR ARIZA.

BUS #6: KOBE BRYANT.

BUS #6.

BUS #7: MAGIC JOHNSON.

TEAM BUSES PASSED.

CELEBRITY BUS HAD ICE CUBE.

THE LAST BUS WAS FULL OF SWAT TEAMERS. NO RIOTING TODAY.

CROWD SHOT.

YESSIR!

HAD A LITTLE TIME TO KILL BEFORE I HAD TO HEAD BACK TO THE AIRPORT SO WE STROLLED MELROSE & INVADED THIS GUY'S BEDROOM.

ON MELROSE WE SAW THE GUY IN BLACK GETTING ARRESTED.

THE GUY TURNED OUT TO BE THE GAME WHO WAS SHOOTING A VIDEO OR SOMETHING.

PICKED UP 3 LAKERS GIFTS FOR THE BABIES IN MY FAM.

THIS LITTLE GIRL LOVES HER GIFT!

I GOT BACK TO THE AIRPORT TO GET READY TO FLY BACK TO HAWAII BUT MISSED 2 FLIGHTS B/C NO OPEN SEATS & HAD TO REDIRECT TO SAN FRANCISCO FOR AN OVERNIGHT. THANKS DEREK & ANDREA FOR PICKING ME UP & LETTING ME CRASH FOR THE NIGHT.

JUNE 18:

DROPPED OFF AT THE AIRPORT IN THE MORNING. COULDNT MAKE IT ON THE FLIGHT OUT SO HAD TO ABORT THE STANDBY SITUATION & PURCHASE A ONE-WAY TICKET BACK. TOO BAD IT WASNT UNTIL A COUPLE HOURS AWAY. I HAD TO CHILL AT THE AIRPORT B/C I DIDNT KNOW MY WAY AROUND & DIDNT WANNA RISK GETTING LOST & MISSING AN EXPENSIVE FLIGHT.

AIRPORTS ARE THE WORST PLACE TO BE STUCK EVER! THEY TEND TO RIP HOLES IN YOUR WALLETS & THERE'S NOTHING YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT...UNLESS YOU WANNA STARVE!