It is an annual occurrence every baseball season for the Los Angeles Dodgers to host Lakers night at Dodger Stadium. There is always an awesome-looking piece of merchandise given away, and some Lakers great or current player throws out the ceremonial first pitch.
This year’s Lakers night will be honoring the late, great Kobe Bryant. The Dodgers will be giving away a Black Mamba-themed Dodgers jersey to all those who buy a special ticket package. The baseball jersey is black with the mamba skin and features both the numbers 8 and 24. And now it is known who will be throwing out the first pitch on this special night as well.
The Dodgers announced that Natalia Bryant, the oldest daughter of Kobe, will be throwing out the first pitch this Friday at Lakers Night:
Join us for a special @Lakers Night on 9/1 with Natalia Bryant throwing out the ceremonial first pitch! 💙💜💛 pic.twitter.com/qubx0UiKD4
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) August 29, 2023
This is a beautiful way to pay tribute to both the Dodgers and Lakers family and one of the most beloved figures in the city. This wouldn’t be the first time Natalia has stepped up in representing her father either as she famously took the stage during his Hall of Fame induction and was presented with his jacket.
The legacy of Kobe Bryant has continued to live on through the work of his wife Vanessa as well as the Lakers organization. Annual re-releases of his most popular shoes in new styles and colorways are happening, as is, of course, the unveiling of his statue outside of the Crypto.com Arena.
The Lakers and Dodgers have always been closely linked, and with this year’s Lakers Night coming just a week after his birthday it only made sense to pay tribute to arguably the greatest player in Lakers history. And for Natalia Bryant to take part in this way ensures it will be a special night.
Lakers legend Jerry West wishes Kobe Bryant could be here for his statue unveiling
It was finally announced that the Lakers will be unveiling Kobe Bryant’s statue on February 2, 2024. It will undoubtedly be a special and emotional day for the franchise and fans everywhere and Lakers legend Jerry West hates that Kobe can’t be here to witness it himself.
In a recent interview, West noted that it was only a matter of time before Kobe got his statue outside of Crypto.com Arena and called it an incredible tribute before adding that he wishes Kobe could be here to enjoy it.
