The Los Angeles Lakers have taken on the “Mamba Mentality” all season long since the sudden death of legend Kobe Bryant, and the team continues to plan to honor him in the playoffs.
Should the Lakers advance past the first round and defeat the Portland Trail Blazers, they will wear the Kobe Bryant Black Mamba jersey in the following rounds, per Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times.
Nike had announced last week it would be releasing a “Mamba Week” beginning on Sunday, Aug. 23 – the date of what would have been Bryant’s 42nd birthday.
The release will feature new sneakers and limited quantities of a No. 8 and No. 24 “Black Mamba” Lakers jersey which features a snakeskin print on the outside.
Nike will also be donating $1 million to the Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation in memory of Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, who also died along with seven others in the Jan. 26 helicopter crash on their way to Gianna’s basketball game.
Bryant’s death had shook the NBA and sports world, and the league and Lakers have continued to honor the five-time NBA champion’s legacy throughout the season.
Having the Lakers wear the new “Black Mamba” would be another gesture in honoring the larger-than-life NBA star.
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