The Los Angeles Lakers will have another jersey to add to their repertoire this season, as the NBA officially unveiled the 2021 “Earned Edition” jerseys for teams.
The NBA gives these jerseys to teams who qualified for the playoffs the previous season, so it’s no surprise to see the Lakers receive one as they fought their way to their 17th NBA Championship in the Orlando bubble, knocking off the Miami Heat in six games.
All 16 teams who participated in the playoffs last year got a first look at the uniform, and the Lakers unveiled theirs through a social media post with star LeBron James explaining how various members of the organization, such as Rob Pelinka, Frank Vogel, the fans and himself, all want their respect:
Number 17: Earned pic.twitter.com/leGTJwMKg5
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) March 10, 2021
Here is a full look at the uniforms, via Nick DePaula of ESPN:
The Lakers’ new “Earned Edition” jersey, with trophy gold accents. pic.twitter.com/oIUmfqZDEA
— Nick DePaula (@NickDePaula) March 10, 2021
The unveiling of this jersey makes it the sixth for Los Angeles this season. Their “icon” uniform is a nod to the classic gold with purple lettering. The “association” uniform swaps the gold for white, keeping the purple lettering and bordering it with gold. The “statement” jersey has purple at the forefront, with yellow lettering and a mix of yellow, black and white along the borders.
The two new classic editions that paid homage to teams of the past have also been on display at times this season. This season’s “city” edition jersey threw it back to the Elgin Baylor days with white at the forefront and light blue lettering and borders. This jersey continued the Lakers’ “Lore Series” they implemented at the start of the 2018 season, which are jerseys designed by some of the best Lakers’ players ever.
The “classic” edition is a 1960s throwback to when the team first moved to Los Angeles, with a darker shade of blue and white cursive lettering that incorporated some roots to their Minneapolis jerseys.
With the “Earned Edition”, the Lakers are including black in the color mix, along with purple and gold letters and borders, with the black reminiscent of the “Black Mamba” jerseys that honored Kobe Bryant last season.
The Lakers are set to debut these new fits when they return from the All-Star break, hosting the Indiana Pacers on Friday night.
Lakers sign Damian Jones to 10-day contract
Potentially having the chance to don this new uniform is center Damian Jones, who has signed another 10-day contract to remain with the Lakers.
Los Angeles initially signed Jones shortly before the All-Star break as they sought additional size and verticality in the frontcourt. Jones brought that presence, showing off the leaping ability at the rim through layups and dunks, with some impressive blocks on the defensive end.
It’s a low-risk move for the Lakers to continue evaluating what Jones has already exhibited on the floor.
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