The Lakers have found a jersey that works for them. They've worn the black city edition jerseys during the 2023 In-Season Tournament and are a perfect 3-0 with them. But the NBA is forcing them to switch it up for the Semifinals.
Los Angeles will instead wear its gold "icon" jerseys, per the team's site. In fact, the Lakers won't be wearing the black jerseys again until Dec. 15, when they hit the road to face the Spurs.
If a jersey is working, teams often like to stick with them, and it's hard to argue they haven't found success wearing the city edition jerseys during the tournament. The Lakers beat the Grizzlies and Jazz in Group Play games, then topped the Suns in the Quarterfinals, all while wearing the black uniforms.
Why is Los Angeles switching it up before the semifinal game against the Pelicans? Here's what you need to know.
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The Lakers probably would have wanted to keep wearing the jerseys, but the NBA is forcing them to make a change.
ESPN reported the league has told the Lakers they can't wear the black jerseys because they would clash with the design of the specialized in-season court at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Clearly, the players aren't thrilled with the forced change.
"That's a—," one Lakers player said when learning about the ban on the black unis, according to ESPN.
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Since the championship game is also in Las Vegas, it would appear there's a chance the Lakers would be banned from wearing the jerseys again in the finals on Saturday, should Los Angeles advance that far. The Lakers would face either the Bucks or Pacers.
ESPN reported the Lakers have embraced the style so far this year. Rui Hachimura wore a black protective face mask against the Suns in the Quarterfinals and LeBron James donned an all-black outfit to the arena. The Lakers also went 4-1 in the 2020 NBA Finals wearing the "Black Mamba" uniforms to honor Kobe Bryant, and James wore black jerseys with the Cavaliers in Games 5 and 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals when Cleveland bounced back from a 3-1 deficit against the Warriors.
