Jeanie Buss: Lakers Rose Parade float & Kobe's retirement

There will be some serious purple and gold at this year's Rose Parade. And just like the Lakers, the team's float promises to stand out like no other! This one will have everything from a giant basketball rolling around the rim...to fireworks...and streamers!

Jeanie Buss is here from the Los Angeles Lakers to talk about it.

The Los Angeles Lakers, currently in its 68th year as a professional basketball franchise, has earned the most wins in NBA history and has captured 16 NBA championships. Committed to excellence on the court, numerous NBA Hall of Fame players, coaches and staff members have contributed to the success of the organization.

FLOAT CONCEPT DESCRIPTION

This show-stopping entry reflects the excitement and energy of the Laker franchise, one of the most celebrated teams in sports history. Stylized floral fireworks create a fun and lively atmosphere. Laker royalty rides on the front of the float with a replica of the NBA championship trophy. The center of the design features a ground-breaking innovation: a huge, cleverly animated basketball spins as it circles the rim.

Will it drop in or roll off? Sixteen stars surround the hoop, symbolizing the team's sixteen NBA championships. The years of the championships encircle the base of the giant hoop. The rear of the entry showcases additional members of the Laker family. The shape of the rear platform suggests rippling water -- a nod to the team's Minnesota roots. Ten jerseys of Laker greats prominently hang at the rear of the entry. A gigantic Laker logo frames the design. The Laker girls perform alongside. Real fireworks and a burst of streamers add to the excitement. The float's bold, graphic style, innovative animation and thrilling special effects promise to make it one of the most entertaining entries in the parade.

HOW/WHY THEME WAS CHOSEN

In sports and particularly basketball a second can mean so much and we wanted to capture the excitement of the last second shot and all the incredibly dramatic finishes our fans have experienced in the past and will in the future and to bring to mind all the successes that have come from the last second shot!

FLOWERS AND DRY MATERIALS USED FOR DECORATING

A bold explosion of color brings this entry to life. Genetically engineered Florigene "Moonlite" carnations are the perfect match for Laker purple while "Kerio" roses offer just the right shade of Laker gold. Other purple accents include liatris, "Calypso" mokara orchids, cattleya orchids and blue vanda orchids. The gold tones are rounded out with oncidium orchids, forsythia, gerbera daisies, Asiatic lilies and button chrysanthemums. Red lentil provides the orange of the giant basketball and the hot oranges of the exploding fireworks are created with "Corvette," "Voodoo" and "High and Magic" roses. "Casino" anthurium and miniature gourds provide additional orange accents.

ESTIMATED NUMBER OF FLOWERS USED

Over 20,000 Florigene "Moonlite" carnations were grown especially for this entry. Paradiso Parade Floats' Creative Director, Charles Meier, specially ordered them last June to ensure availability.

DESCRIPTION OF FLOAT ANIMATION

The giant basketball is cleverly animated so that it spins while circling the rim, recreating that moment of ultimate suspense in the final seconds of a basketball game. The towering Laker logo at the rear of the entry must hydraulically lower in order to pass under power lines and bridges. Real fireworks explode at the rear of the entry and purple and gold streamers will be fired from the base of the basketball hoop.

Follow Jeanie Buss on Twitter: @JeanieBuss