Vanessa Bryant Reacts to Lakers Wearing Kobe Bryant 'Black Mamba' Jerseys for Game 5 of NBA Finals

The Los Angeles Lakers are on the verge of winning the 2020 NBA Finals and looking to do it while [...]

By Brian Jones

The Los Angeles Lakers are on the verge of winning the 2020 NBA Finals and looking to do it while honoring Kobe Bryant. After beating the Miami Heat in Game 4 of the NBA Finals, the Lakers announced they will wear their "Black Mamba" uniforms, which are styled in honor of Bryant who died in a helicopter crash back in January with his daughter Gianna and seven other people. And when Bryant's widow, Vanessa Bryant, heard the news, she voiced her approval on social media.

"Mamba and Mambacita jerseys approved for game 5," Vanessa Bryant wrote in an Instagram story Wednesday night. "Let's go [Lakers]." If the Lakers win Game 5, which will be played on Friday night, it will be their first title in 10 years. At that time, Kobe Bryant won NBA Finals MVP and it was the fifth championship for the Hall of Famer. Now, former rival turned friend LeBron James has a chance to lead the Lakers to their 17th championship in franchise history.

"It was just off the top of my head, just off the cuff," James said back in February when he first learned about Bryant's death. "I think it was needed for us to come together and just give thanks to the man above. Even though at times we question him and question why he do some of the things that he do, know that he's never made a mistake. And just hope that he has his hands on top of Vanessa [Bryant] and the kids at that time, and hope that he continues to watch over all of us."

James has played in 259 playoff games and is ready to end the year holding a championship trophy. "I get so excited — like right now, I'm excited about our meeting tomorrow watching film and breaking that down and seeing things that we can do better," James said after the team's Game 4 win on Tuesday. James, 35, continues to play at a high level, recording 25.3 points, 7.8 rebounds and 10.2 assists per game during the regular season. According to ESPN, James has scored 7,423 career points in the playoffs, the most in NBA history.

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