LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — The jerseys will be hanging in their lockers when the Los Angeles Lakers arrive for Game 2 of the NBA Finals on Friday night. Black jerseys, trimmed in gold, a snakeskin print on the exterior to make it further unique.
They are the Black Mamba jerseys.
Designed by Kobe Bryant — and now worn for Kobe Bryant.
“We never want to lose in these jerseys,” Lakers forward Anthony Davis said.
Nobody wants to lose in any jersey, of course, but the Lakers would feel like they’re letting Bryant down if they happened to fall short in that uniform. The tribute jersey is just one of many ways that Bryant’s fingerprints are all over these NBA Finals between the Lakers and Miami Heat. It’s the league’s first title series since Bryant, his daughter Gianna and seven others were killed in a helicopter crash on Jan. 26.
It’s no secret: This playoff run by the Lakers is with Bryant constantly in mind.
“They’ve got something special that they want to do. You can’t deny that,” Heat center Bam Adebayo said. “It’s not shocking that he passes away and that becomes their motivation to win the NBA championship and be in the finals. It’s not weird at all. I want to win and do it for Kobe too … so I understand.”
Bryant is the player that Adebayo grew up idolizing. His favorite souvenir from All-Star weekend wasn’t his skills competition championship trophy, but the Bryant jersey that all the players received. His favorite sneakers aren’t just the Kobe 5’s — but the purple and gold Kobe 5’s, Lakers colors. So, he understands why this Lakers team is motivated to win in Bryant’s memory.
“It still doesn’t feel real to this day,” Adebayo said. “But you see the effect that he had on the world.”
Many of the Lakers wear Bryant’s signature sneakers for games, and assistant coach Jason Kidd often wears them as well. At least four members of the Heat — Adebayo, Andre Iguodala, Solomon Hill and Jae Crowder — typically wear Kobe sneakers as well.
Bryant won five titles with the Lakers, the last of those coming in 2010. Until now, the Lakers hadn’t been back to the finals since. Now, they’re three wins away from a 17th championship in franchise history, which would tie the Boston Celtics for the most ever.
Bryant would have loved that, of course.
“It’s hard not to think about him, whether you’re a part of this organization or not,” Lakers guard Danny Green said. “He’s always going to impact the game and have a presence, especially for us.”
