The NBA made the decision to switch from Adidas to Nike as their uniform provider, and several teams have used the switch as an opportunity to freshen up their look a bit.
That said, classic franchises like the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics are rightly determined to keep their basic look the same, though it does appear that the fit may be a bit different than the Adidas jerseys.
There is plenty of optimism in Los Angeles right now thanks to an improved roster that has added veterans Brook Lopez and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, both of whom appear to be excellent fits on paper. That said, most of the excitement in Laker land is due to the arrival of second overall pick Lonzo Ball, whose incredible play at the Las Vegas Summer League earned him the MVP award for the tournament.
Trading card company Panini America revealed the first look at Ball in the Lakers’ new Nike uniform:
The @PaniniAmerica Next Day set is coming together with some clean photography. #PaniniNBARookie #WhoDoYouCollect pic.twitter.com/1eEWNDjLUV
— Panini America (@PaniniAmerica) August 10, 2017
Additionally, the NBA Draft Twitter showed off a little video of Ball throwing some passes for his rookie cards:
The @Lakers new pass first point guard! pic.twitter.com/kJvoVSlzxw
— NBA Draft (@NBADraft) August 11, 2017
Given how recognizable the Lakers brand is and the worldwide following that they enjoy, it’s not surprising that they opted not to make any drastic changes. After all, there is something endearing about the team forging a new identity while still wearing the classic purple and gold.
Ball is, without a doubt, the most exciting young player to put on a Lakers uniform in quite some time, and fans can’t wait to see him take the floor in the regular season as the Lakers will host the Clippers in their season opener.