Lakers sending a message with Game 5 jersey choice (Photo)

The Los Angeles Lakers smell blood in the water, as they are one game away from hoisting the Larry O’Brien Trophy.

Entering the 2020 NBA Finals, the Los Angeles Lakers were the favorites to hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy over the Miami Heat. After taking the first two games of the series, the Lakers fell to the Heat in Game 3 mostly due to the extraordinary triple-double by Jimmy Butler. Los Angeles was embarrassed that they lost to the shorthanded Heat, and they used it on the court in Game 4 where they earned the win and a 3-1 series lead.

The Lakers smell blood in the water, and they hinted at it with their uniform choice. Los Angeles will wear their “Black Mamba” uniforms for Game 5 on Friday in honor of the late Kobe Bryant. It’s important to note that the Lakers have never lost in the postseason while wearing those jerseys.

Lakers want to win it for Kobe Bryant

According to Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press, the Lakers initially planned on wearing these uniforms for Game 7. But since the team is one win away from clinching the franchise’s 17th championship, they decided to wear them an extra game. Los Angeles will still wear the “Black Mamba” kit for Game 7 if need be. Game 6 won’t be an option, as the Heat will be donning their black uniforms for the contest.

These jerseys were created by Bryant and were introduced during the 2018 season. After a brief hiatus, the Lakers brought the uniforms back to honor the legend, who tragically passed away in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, Calif. The accident also claimed the lives of Bryant’s daughter Gianna and seven others.

The Lakers are a perfect 4-0 in these uniforms, one of them being Game 2 of the Finals, where they defeated the Heat 124-114. Probably their most iconic win in the Bryant-themed jerseys came in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals against Denver Nuggets, where Anthony Davis hit a game-winning three-pointer while shouting “Kobe.”

If the Lakers are to win the NBA Championship on Friday night, they want to make sure it’s perfect.