Seven months after winning the franchise’s 17th name, the Los Angeles Lakers will unveil their 2020 NBA championship banner, the group announced.
Prior to Thursday’s rematch from their 2020 Finals competition, the Miami Heat, Lakers CEO and president Jeanie Buss disclosed the team’s plans to show the banner at long last on May 12 when L.A. plays its final home match of the regular season against the Houston Rockets.
The Lakers beat the Heat in Game 6 to take back the name on Oct. 11 in the NBA bubble at Orlando, Florida.
“There was a few reasons why we waited,” Buss told Spectrum SportsNet, the team’s regional TV spouse, on Thursday. “First of all, on opening night, we did not have any fans. So now that we have finally gotten the nod that we are permitted to get some lovers, we decided the last regular-season game would be useful because we’ll have as many fans as we can get and hopefully we will have an entirely healthy group and with LeBron James and Anthony Davis on the court.
“And it’s a good sendoff as we prepare to go into the playoffs.”
Including Thursday, James has missed L.A.’s previous 10 games with a high ankle sprain, while Davis has been out 24 games with a calf strain and tendinosis in his leg.
James submitted a photograph of him and his fellow co-captain to his Instagram page on Thursday, hinting at their impending return.
The Lakers will welcome back fans for the first time on April 15 from the Boston Celtics. The exact ability that L.A. County and the state of California will make it possible for the Lakers to host hasn’t yet been announced yet, however.
“Our purpose is to bring in as many lovers as you can, but as you can,” Buss said.
The Lakers opened the regular season in December with a black cloak covering the 2019-20 championship banner using the concept,”Stay tuned, Lakers family,” published in gold block letters on it.