Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
It’s hard to imagine there are any scenarios where the aesthetics of a uniform worn by a sports team has a tangible impact on how they play. However, it appears the Lakers aren’t taking any chances on that front after they decided to abandon the “Lake Show” jerseys that are seemingly cursed based on how they’ve fared in games where they’ve worn them.
Nike has served as the official apparel outfitter of the NBA since replacing Adidas prior to the start of the 2017-18 campaign, and the brand has used that partnership as an excuse to whip up a number of different alternate jerseys that have both allowed it to flex its creative muscle and try to make some money in the process.
That partnership has led to most NBA teams rocking four distinct jerseys over the course of the season: the white “Association,” the “Icon” boasting their primary color, the “Statement” that tends to feature a less conventional color scheme and design, and the “City Edition” that pays tribute to the, well, city those franchises call home.
This year, the Lakers got to honor their heritage with the “Lake Show” City Edition jerseys that feature that phrase emblazoned on the front in their iconic font on top of a purple and black gradient complemented by “gold accents symbolizing the team’s gold standard’.”
Now introducing: The California Destiny
City Edition | @bibigoUSA pic.twitter.com/Cswjv6ZW1H
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) October 8, 2024
The Lakers debuted those jerseys during a showdown with the Magic on November 21st where Orlando earned a 119-118 victory on the road. They got a win against the Jazz while rocking the Lake Show uniforms on December 1st, but a loss to the Timberwolves the following night marked the start of an eight-game losing streak in games where they were worn.
As Silver Screen and Roll notes, the NBA’s LockerVision site initially showed the Lakers were slated to wear them against the Knicks on February 1st and while facing off against the Warriors a little less than a week later, but those plans were abandoned in the hopes of snapping the supposed curse that had caused them to go -1-9 while wearing them (it’s worth noting they got the win in both of those showdowns).
The Lake Show jerseys were originally on the docket six more times this season, but that’s no longer the case, as the alternate has since been replaced by an alternative now that the team has quietly decided to abandon the City Edition for the remainder of the year.
It probably won’t have too much of an impact on the team’s postseason fate when you consider they’d need to befall an incredibly unlikely collapse to miss the playoffs with the 34-21 record that’s currently good enough for fourth place in the Western Conference, but I guess you can’t be too careful.