The Los Angeles Lakers plan to wear their “Black Mamba” uniforms to honor Kobe and Gianna Bryant if they advance past the first round of the playoffs, according to Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times.
What We Know:
- If the Lakers beat the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round of the playoffs, they plan to honor the late Laker legend with his signature Black Mamba jersey in the subsequent rounds. The uniforms were inspired by and co-designed by Bryant himself, who gave himself the “Black Mamba” nickname early in his career. The jerseys are all black with Laker gold trim and feature snakeskin print and 16 stars to represent the mamba nickname and the Lakers’ 16 championships.
The Lakers plan to wear their Black Mamba jerseys in honor of Kobe Bryant if they advance past the first round of the playoffs, per @BA_Turner pic.twitter.com/D8iSNuAUvi
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) August 17, 2020
- The deaths of Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and seven others shocked the world earlier this year. The group perished in a tragic helicopter accident on the morning of January 26th while they were traveling to a game at Bryant’s Mamba Sports Academy. Kobe Bryant was 41 and Gianna Bryant was 13. The victims of the crash were mourned and honored by friends, family, and the global community.
- Led by LeBron James and Anthony Davis, the Lakers are entering the 2020 NBA playoffs as the top team in the Western Conference and are serious contenders to win the championship. Although there are questions surrounding the team as they only went 3-5 during the seeding games, they certainly have the star power to match up with any team. James is a finalist for league MVP and Davis is a finalist for Defensive Player of the Year. The Lakers last made the postseason in 2013 while Bryant was still on the team.
- Bryant is considered one of the greatest Lakers of all time. His basketball legacy is as fine as they come. He won five championships, two Finals MVP awards, one league MVP award, and recorded one of the greatest feats in NBA history by scoring 81 points in a game. He ranks fourth on the NBA’s all-time leading scorer list and is one of two players in league history to play 20 years with one franchise. In retirement, Bryant continued to further the game of basketball by coaching his daughter Gianna and her team.
Game 1 between the Lakers and Blazers will be Tuesday at 6 pm P.T.
