In brief: Lakers, fans celebrate 15th NBA title

NBA: The streets of downtown Los Angeles were transformed into a sea of purple and gold Wednesday as tens of thousands of joyous Lakers fans joined their team in a raucous but mostly peaceful celebration of its 15th NBA championship.

Taking a timeout from work or unemployment, 95,000 people filled the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum to give a hero’s welcome to players and coaches, who were showered with purple and gold confetti as the Randy Newman song “I Love L.A.” blared from loudspeakers.

Tens of thousands more fans lined a 21/2-mile parade route, standing 20 deep or more beneath bright sunshine to cheer as double-decker buses carried the team to the stadium.

With Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and other stars past and present looking on, Kobe Bryant led the crowd at the stadium in a chant that he said the players shouted before, during and after every game this year as they fought for the title.

“I want everybody to say ‘ring’ on three,” Bryant said. “One, two, three …”

The crowd responded, then he and his high-fiving, body-bumping teammates embraced in a brief circle dance.

Brooks eyes return, possibly to Tampa

Football: Free agent Derrick Brooks said he plans to play in the NFL this fall and possibly even return to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a team he led to a Super Bowl victory.

The NFL Defensive Player of the Year when Tampa Bay won the Super Bowl after the 2002 season, Brooks was among five players the Bucs cut in a February purge that included his former Florida State teammate, Warrick Dunn.

“I could still be a Buccaneer,” Brooks said. “Stranger things than that have happened. Teams are talking to me so I’m going to make sure I continue to stay in shape.”

•Eagles owe city $3 million to end revenue battle : A judge says the Philadelphia Eagles owe the city $3 million to finally resolve a long-standing stadium revenue dispute that sparked dueling lawsuits.

Philadelphia Common Pleas Court Judge Albert Shepherd ruled the city owes the team $5 million for a 2001 preseason game with the Baltimore Ravens that had to be canceled because of problems with the turf in Veterans Stadium.

That amount can be deducted from last week’s ruling, when Shepherd decided the Eagles owe the city $8 million in luxury box revenue dating back to the 2000 and 2001 seasons.

•Wilf: Favre’s future up to him: It’s all up to Brett Favre now. Minnesota Vikings owner Zygi Wilf made that much clear.

Wilf told a group of interested season-ticket holders that the possibility of Favre playing for the Vikings next season hinges on Favre’s surgically repaired right arm.

“Right now, it’s all up to Brett Favre in terms of where his future is at,” Wilf told about 1,200 fans gathered at the State Theatre for a “State of the Vikings” event.

The comments echoed Favre’s statement in an interview with HBO two days earlier. Favre said then that he is considering a return if his throwing arm will allow it and that the Vikings are the only team has spoken to about a comeback.

Top seed loses at Eastbourne

Tennis: Top-seeded Elena Dementieva was upset 6-0, 3-6, 7-6 (4) by Virginie Razzano at the Eastbourne (England) International.

The Russian won just 29 percent of the points in the first set, and recovered to win a ragged second set. But her French opponent clinched the win in the third-set tiebreaker.

Former Wimbledon champion Amelie Mauresmo fell 7-6 (8), 7-6 (13) to Ekaterina Makarova.

•Nadal, Safina seeded No. 1 for Wimbledon: Defending champion Rafael Nadal and top-ranked women’s player Dinara Safina are seeded No. 1 for Wimbledon.

Wimbledon stuck closely to the world rankings in determining the seeding lists for the two-week tournament.

The top six spots in the men’s list follow the rankings. Five-time champion Roger Federer is No. 2, with Andy Murray at No. 3. Among the women, Safina is followed by Serena Williams and defending champion Venus Williams.

Spain beats Iraq, ties international mark

Soccer: Spain tied an international record by winning its 14th straight game, beating Iraq 1-0 on David Villa’s goal in the 55th minute to advance to the Confederations Cup semifinals at Bloemfontein, South Africa.

Spain (2-0) matched Brazil, France and Australia as the only teams to win 14 straight games and can set the record Saturday when it plays host South Africa in its final first-round match.

Alabama will appeal NCAA sanctions

Miscellany: The University of Alabama plans to appeal a ruling by the NCAA that forced the football program to vacate 21 wins.

University President Robert Witt said the penalties were excessive.

Alabama’s football program and 15 other sports were placed on three years’ probation after 201 athletes were found to have used their scholarships to get other students free textbooks.