Raptors to hold championship parade Monday

After years of local jokes about "planning parade routes," the Toronto Raptors will give their city a championship procession Monday.

The parade will begin at 10 a.m. near the Raptors' OVO Athletic Centre and proceed east on Lake Shore Boulevard into the downtown core - ultimately ending outside Toronto's iconic City Hall.

"This means so much to our city and to many in Canada, and we are looking forward to showing everyone the Larry O'Brien trophy on Monday," Raptors president Masai Ujiri said in a statement Friday. "Bringing the NBA Championship to Toronto is the realization of a goal for our team and for our players and we are thrilled to be able to celebrate together with our fans."

Toronto claimed its first NBA championship Thursday night with a Game 6 Finals victory in Oakland over the Warriors. It's the city's first "big four" professional sports title since the 1993 Blue Jays.

"We are so proud of our Toronto Raptors and this history-making Finals run. On Monday, we get to come together as a city to celebrate the team," Mayor John Tory said.