The Los Angeles Lakers are planning to wear their Kobe Bryant Black Mamba jerseys during the NBA Finals, and Anthony Davis says those jerseys carry special meaning.
The Black Mamba jersey was co-designed by the late Bryant, who was among nine people who died in a helicopter crash on January 26, 2020. The jersey features a snakeskin print on the outside and has 16 stars on the side panels, representing the Lakers’ 16 NBA championships.
The Lakers plan to wear the jerseys for Game 2 and a Game 7 if necessary.
“When we put those jerseys on, we for sure play with an extra energy and effort,” Davis said of the Black Mamba jerseys. “Because we can’t lose in those jerseys. It’s like a pride thing — we cannot lose in those jerseys. And not from a cockiness standpoint, but more so like, if we lose in those jerseys, it feels like we’re letting him down. We just want to make him proud.”
A sneak peek at my conversation with Anthony Davis – we discussed the Lakers dedicating their run here to Kobe, including wearing special Mamba-themed jerseys.
AD: "If we lose in those jerseys, we just feel like we're letting him down." pic.twitter.com/Ls3RQvmcO3— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) September 29, 2020
The Lakers dedicated the rest of the season to Bryant, who won five championships with the Lakers. Davis and James both got tattoos to commemorate the late Lakers legend.
Playing for an NBA championship is already enough reason to be motivated. Playing for Kobe on top of that gives the Lakers even more focus.
Lakers fans, show everyone who runs LA with this great T-shirt. It makes a perfect gift for you or a friend. You can buy it here.
