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LeBron James shouts out Kobe Bryant's family after win in Black Mamba jerseys: 'We're with you guys'

jack baer
Staff writer
·2 min read

The Los Angeles Lakers overwhelmed a shorthanded Miami Heat team on Friday to take a 2-0 lead in the NBA Finals.

To some fans, the dominance was product of the jerseys on the Lakers’ backs.

For Game 2, the Lakers again donned their “Black Mamba” jerseys, a black-and-yellow uniform designed by Kobe Bryant himself, and again won in the NBA playoffs. The Lakers are now 4-0 in their “Black Mamba” jerseys, making their playoff run all the more meaningful after the death of Bryant, his daughter Gianna and seven others in a helicopter crash in January.

When asked about the success, and the pressure, of the jerseys after the game, LeBron James used the occasion to send a shout-out to Bryant’s family, specifically his wife Vanessa and three surviving daughters.

James:

“It’s always special to represent someone that meant so much, not only to the game but also to the Lakers organization for 20-plus years. For us to honor him, being on the floor, this is what it’s all about.

We’re thinking about the Bryant family, of Vanessa and them daughters. They’re with us, we’re with you guys, we love you guys and hopefully, we’re making them proud by wearing these uniforms tonight and throughout the course of the postseason.”

James finished the game with 33 points on 14-of-25 shooting with nine assists and nine rebounds. He was complemented by another dominant showing from Anthony Davis, who had 32 points and 14 rebounds.

Those stat lines made some meaningful history for the pair. It’s the first time two Lakers have each posted 30 or more points in a Finals game since Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal did it in 2002.

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