If the Los Angeles Lakers advance past the first round of the playoffs against the Portland Trail Blazers, they plan to wear the Black Mamba jersey in honor of Kobe Bryant during the following rounds, according to people who were not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.
The jersey was co-designed by Bryant and it features a snakeskin print on the outside with black interior and 16 stars on the side panels. The Lakers have won 16 NBA championships, and Bryant played on five of those title-winning teams.
Bryant wore jersey numbers 8 and 24 over his 20-year career with the Lakers.
Bryant, his daughter Gianna and seven others died in a helicopter crash in January.
The top-seeded Lakers and LeBron James and Anthony Davis open their first-round best-of-seven series Tuesday night against Portland and its dangerous backcourt of Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum.
