The NBA will ban the Lakers from wearing their black uniforms due to concerns about the design of the floor and the visual contrast between the jerseys for the semifinals at T-Mobile Arena.
Los Angeles Lakers They will never wear black again.
The Lakers They earned their place in the semi-finals in Las Vegas NBA Cup They wore alternate black “Urban Edition” uniforms in Tuesday’s 106-103 win over the Phoenix Suns.
The aesthetic of the jersey set has been a hit with the players, and Los Angeles has yet to be undefeated in a black uniform. NBA Cup. The Lakers They wore dark colors in two group games against the Memphis Grizzlies and Utah Jazz, including a 3–0 quarterfinal victory over the Suns.
Although there are players Lakers They prefer to wear black clothes New Orleans Pelicans In the semifinals, sources told ESPN, the NBA has other plans.
It is planned that Lakers Wear their “Icon” gold jerseys, according to their uniform calendar on the team’s website, which lists the color scheme planned for every Los Angeles game at the end of the regular season. The Pelicans will wear their white “association” uniforms.
The NBA will block it Lakers Your dress Black uniforms Sources with knowledge of the matter said concerns over the visual difference between the design of the jersey and the court for the semi-finals, which will be played at T-Mobile Arena. he told ESPN.
When told the team would not be allowed to wear black on Thursday, one Lakers player responded, “That’s dumb.”
The players Lakers They adopted a look beyond uniforms. Rui Hachimura, returning from five games with a broken nose, wore a black protective mask against the Suns. And LeBron James Dressed in an all-black outfit, with thick black Louis Vuitton sunglasses, at the stadium.
James’ teams have a history of winning with black alternate uniforms. His Lakers went 4-1 in the NBA bubble in the 2020 postseason en route to winning an NBA uniform. “Black Mamba” In honor of Kobe Bryant, who died earlier that year.
The Cleveland Cavaliers bounced back from a 3-1 deficit against the Golden State Warriors in the 2016 Finals, wearing black in the deciding Game 5 and Game 7 at Oracle Arena.
While the wardrobe choice may seem trivial, James, an unabashed fan of Colorado football coach Deion Sanders, takes the former NFL star’s thoughts on fashion to heart.
When asked about Sanders during training camp, James told ESPN, “When you feel good, you feel good. When you feel good, you play good. When you play good, you get paid well.” has an old saying. Lakers practice. In October. “I mean, I feel like it was instilled in me from a young age.”
With $500,000 in cash per player awarded to the winners of this weekend’s postseason, it’s understandable how important the good part of that maxim would be to the Lakers now.
