The Los Angeles Lakers wear new uniforms if they win their first-round playoff series. In a report by the Los Angeles Times, the Lakers will wear “Black Mamba” uniforms designed by Kobe Bryant if the team is able to beat the Portland Trail Blazers and advance to the second round of the playoffs. The uniforms are black and have a snakeskin print on the front and 16 stars on the side, which represents each championship the team has won.
The Lakers will wear the uniforms to honor Bryant, who died in a helicopter crash along with his daughter Gianna and seven other people. The team has worn “KB” patches on their jerseys since Bryant’s death. The reason for the team waiting until the second round of the playoffs to earn the “Black Mamba” uniforms is unclear, but as Sam Quinn of CBS Sports mentioned, the fact that the Trail Blazers use a lot of black in their uniforms could have played a role in the decision.
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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
This news comes shortly after Orange County, California announcing Aug. 24 will be Kobe Bryant Day. The members of the Orange County Board settled on Aug. 24 being the day to celebrate Bryant because of his jersey number being No. 24 and also his birthday is on Aug. 23. He would have been 42 years old.
“Kobe Bryant’s life, like each one of us who ever lived, presents moments to celebrate and to condemn,” Don Wagner, Orange County Board Supervisor said. “Kobe, like all of us, faced challenges, challenges of his own making and challenges thrown at him by life, that he overcame. Today, we celebrate the effort in overcoming those challenges. So we strike a balance, and on balance here the good recognized in the resolution brought here is worth celebrating.”
It’s likely the Lakers will win the playoff series against the Trail Blazers, but they have some work to do. The Trail Blazers are led by CJ McCollum and Damian Lillard, who has named NBA Bubble MVP.
“They have a two-headed monster in Dame and CJ. It starts and ends with those guys,” LeBron James said via LakersNation.com. “They control the tempo, they control the pace, they do all of the ball-handling, and they’re the rock of that franchise.”
