As they won Game 2 of the NBA Finals against the Miami Heat on Friday night, the Los Angeles Lakers wore the late Kobe Bryant’s Black Mamba jerseys, which included a patch with the number 2 inside a heart to honor Gianna Bryant.
After the game, LeBron James talked about the importance of wearing the jerseys throughout the playoffs, and gave a touching shoutout to Bryant’s wife, Vanessa, and their three surviving daughters.
“It’s always special to represent someone that meant so much, not only to the game but obviously to the Lakers organization for 20-plus years,” James said. “For us to honor him, being on the floor, this is what it’s all about.”
“We’re thinking about the Bryant family, of Vanessa and them daughters,” he continued. “They’re with us, we’re with you guys, we love you guys and hopefully, we’re making them proud by wearing these uniforms tonight and throughout the course of the postseason.”
This comes days after James talked about the impact that Bryant had on him.
“Every time you put on purple and gold, you think about his legacy and what he meant to this franchise for 20-plus years,” James said of Bryant, according to Entertainment Tonight. “Just that drive to always want to be victorious. It stops you from sleeping. You sacrifice a lot of things, you sacrifice your family at times, because you’re so driven to be so great that other things fall by the wayside at times.”
Bryant was killed in a helicopter crash back in January along with his 13 year-old daughter Gianna and seven others. James also honored Bryant back in August after the death of Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman, who tragically died of cancer. James called 2020 the “s—tiest year,” given the fact that we lost the actor and Bryant.
“It actually felt like we finally had our Black superhero, and nobody could touch us,” James said. “And to lose that, it’s sad in our community, it’s sad in our community.
“To lose the Black Panther and the Black Mamba in the same year, can all agree that 2020 is the s—tiest year — in my 35 years, it’s not even a question,” he added.
Lakers’ LeBron James w/ tribute to Chadwick Boseman: “It actually felt like we had our black superhero and nobody could touch us. To lose that, it’s sad in our community. To lose Black Panther & Black Mamba in the same year — 2020 is the sh**tiest year.” pic.twitter.com/GiGbPA80Gp
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) August 30, 2020
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