Account
Anthony Davis: 'Gonna Feel Good' to Honor Kobe Bryant with Black Mamba Jerseys
August 24, 2020
Kobe Bryant wore Nos. 8 and 24 throughout his legendary Hall of Fame career, and his former team will fittingly honor him on Aug. 24 (8/24) when it takes the court Monday for Game 4 of its first-round playoff series against the Portland Trail Blazers.
As Kyle Goon of the Orange County Register reported, the Los Angeles Lakers will wear Black Mamba City Edition jerseys from the 2017-18 season during Monday's game.
"Obviously it's gonna feel good to represent him on the floor with his jersey," Anthony Davis said. "As for the emotions, I can't really tell you. But I know it's going to be a good emotion just to wear those jerseys and represent him on the floor like we've been doing all season."
Bryant and his daughter Gianna were among the nine people who died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, on Jan. 26.
Goon noted "for months" the Lakers have wanted to honor Bryant's memory by wearing the jerseys but were unable to do so because the season was suspended for the COVID-19 pandemic.
There will surely be plenty of emotion Monday.
"It brings back a lot of the emotions of what happened," head coach Frank Vogel said. "We're all still very sad about his loss and Gigi's loss. It's just a tough thing for all of us to handle and to go through."
Sunday would have been Bryant's 42nd birthday, and the Lakers honored him and shared an emotional tribute video from Nike:
A championship still remains the goal for the Lakers, which is something Bryant did five times. But there will be more than just the result of a playoff game on their minds when they take the floor in the special uniforms.
Davis believes honoring the legend in such a fashion will bring positive energy.