As the years have gone by, the uniforms and jerseys of teams have become more and more important as well as a major source of revenue. The Los Angeles Lakers have long had one of the more iconic looks in all of sports with their purple and gold color scheme, but they have also produced some of the best-looking alternate uniforms as well.
The NBA has embraced the different uniforms more than most leagues since switching to Nike and that has led to some absolutely beautiful jerseys that both players and fans love. The ‘Black Mamba’ edition uniforms the Lakers sported in 2020 will forever live on as one of the most popular this franchise will ever have, and now the team has unveiled this year’s creation.
The NBA unveiled the ‘City Edition’ uniforms for all 30 teams on Thursday with that of the Lakers being a more basic and toned down approach, but for a reason, via ESPN’s Nick DePaula:
The LA Lakers’ City Edition uni is “intentionally stripped back” to represent “how to transform a blank page into a world of possibility,” says the team. The phrase “Leave A Legacy” can be found above the size tag. pic.twitter.com/v7tiJwdCA4
— Nick DePaula (@NickDePaula) November 10, 2022
Legacy is what the Lakers franchise is all about, both from an individual and team perspective. The many different eras of the Lakers franchise all have their own legacy from the Minneapolis days, to the Jerry West-Elgin Baylor era, to the famed ‘Showtime’ and then on to Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant, and now LeBron James. All of those teams as well as the players have left a legacy with this franchise.
Going with a more toned-down look for this edition definitely is the opposite of what most franchises choose to do with their City edition uniforms. But even though it isn’t the flashiest, it remains a gorgeous look as black just always seems to go well with the Lakers color scheme.
The Lakers also note that this is the first time Los Angeles has been on the front of the uniform since the 1960s while adding that in paying homage to the city, they are ‘calling on the changemakers of the city to represent us and represent something bigger than us.’
These uniforms will make their debut this Sunday when the Lakers host the Brooklyn Nets.
LeBron James to undergo testing on injured groin
The Lakers’ biggest star being on the court when those uniforms debut is up in the air however as LeBron James injured his groin in the team’s loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night.
LeBron said he felt a spasm when he landed on it in the fourth quarter of the contest and would check out and immediately go into the locker room. James is set to undergo testing to determine the severity of the injury, but the Lakers star remains optimistic that he will be able to suit up in the team’s next game.
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