Before the Los Angeles Lakers took the floor for their 2020-21 season opener, the team held a beautiful championship ring ceremony.
Despite fans not being involved, the Lakers still made it extra special by having frontline workers as well as families of players and coaches record videos ‘presenting’ them with their championship rings.
One thing that was missing from the overall ceremony however was the unveiling of the championship banner. Normally, teams reveal the banner after all the players get their rings, but this is a season like no other and the Lakers have adjusted accordingly.
For the time being, the 2019-20 banner will be covered by black cloth with a “Stay tuned, Lakers family” message. Lakers president of business operations Tim Harris explained the decision to hold off stems from a belief fans own a piece of the banner as well, per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin:
“We won’t be unveiling a banner because we want to wait for the fans on that,” Lakers president of business operations Tim Harris told ESPN. “When you win a championship, the championship has a lot of quote-unquote owners. A championship belongs to the team, it belongs to the players, it belongs to the fans.
“And then the stuff that comes with a championship, the assets that come with a championship, it’s kind of like the ownership group are the caretakers of the trophy. And the rings when you win a championship, those belong to the players. And the banner when you win a championship belongs to the fans. That’s kind of how I look at this.”
As for the black cloak, Harris explained, “It’s saying, ‘We’re going to wait for you.’”
The situation surrounding the entire world has changed everything in terms of how the Lakers could enjoy this championship. There was no ability to have a parade and the team may not be able to ever have that type of celebration.
But while the franchise might not be able to bring that to the people, they are determined to allow the fans to partake in something and when that banner is finally unveiled, the Lakers and all of their fans will rejoice.
2020 Championship rings pay homage To Kobe Bryant, Orlando bubble and social justice
The Lakers were still able to receive their rings and that ceremony was truly memorable. As for the rings themselves, they were also special in their own way.
The number of diamonds in the ring, the number of carats in the diamonds, and the designs throughout the ring all had meaning. Be it paying homage to the team’s time in Orlando, the franchise’s championship legacy, and the late, great Kobe Bryant.
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