LeLandedinVega as Lakers jet to Vegas for IST game against Pelicans

The NBA Prohibits the Los Angeles Lakers from Wearing Black During Seasonal Tournaments

The Los Angeles Lakers will face the New Orleans Pelicans in the Las Vegas semi-finals with their black In-Season Tournament jerseys. The NBA has instructed the team not to wear them because of concerns about the visual contrast with the floor design. News of the decision was broken by ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, who also released a two-word statement from a Lakers player.

Concerned about the visual difference between the Lakers’ black uniforms and the design of the customized in-season court at T-Mobile Arena, the NBA is barring the team from wearing its clothes in the semifinals. One Lakers player said, “That’s аss” when told the team couldn’t wear black on Thursday.

Reliving the enchantment of the Black Mamba jersey from 2020—which helped the Lakers go 4-1 in the bubble and win the championship—the Lakers are 3-0 this season wearing black jerseys. Fans who have grown to love the Lakers’ Black statement edition jersey will be disappointed to see them play in the semi-finals in their iconic gold jerseys.

It would be great if the jersey could make a return during the season.

The Seasonal Tournament Is LeBron James’ Favorite EventDespite being unable to wear their black jerseys for their semi-final showdown with the Pelicans, the Lakers continue to regard the tournament with the same enthusiasm. Every team has gone above and beyond to compete in this event, and after the first round, not a single player has said anything bad about it.

The financial incentive was LeBron’s initial motivation for his team to aim for the Tournament win. In response to an ESPN question regarding the event’s performance, James praised tournament organizer Adam Silver as a genius.

I think Adam Silver is brilliant. Yes, it is that easy. I can feel this working.

Given his outstanding play throughout the competition, James is a strong contender for Most Valuable Player of the Season. No one can deny LeBron James’ supremacy on the floor after he scored 31 points, dished out 11 assists, stole five, and grabbed eight rebounds in yesterday night’s Lakers’ disputed victory against the Suns. The squad needs two more victories under his direction since he has been outstanding.

In the semi-finals, the more formidable Pelicans team will meet the Lakers. Both squads have been healthy as of late after getting off to ιnjury-plagued starts to the season. Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, CJ McCollum, Herb Jones, and Trey Murphy III are just a few of the Pellies’ key players that will see action.

Defeating the Nuggets, Mavericks, Rockets, and Clippers in their group, the Pellies advanced to the quarterfinals and defeated the Kings. The Lakers will be hoping that the return of Cam Reddish, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Rui Hachimura is sufficient to overcome this challenging opponent.