Bold move or respect? Lakers to wear classic Minneapolis jersey in Minnesota

When the winless Los Angeles Lakers face the Minnesota Timberwolves at Goal Heart in Minneapolis on Friday evening, they’re going to be sporting their 2022-23 Traditional Version uniforms, which pay tribute to the Minneapolis Lakers. 

Look no additional than Twitter to search out somebody contemplating it a slap within the face to the Timberwolves. Even heralded Timberwolves beat reporter Jon Krawczynski is asking it a “daring transfer.”

However in keeping with the NBA.com uniform schedule for the Lakers, it is on the schedule. Did they swap issues up and select this on the final second or has it been on the schedule the entire time? We do not know as a result of we do not verify uniform schedules…ever. 

Anyway, the jersey is an ode to the Minneapolis Lakers, who received 5 championships earlier than shifting to Los Angeles. The L.A. Lakers wore the Minneapolis-inspired uniforms from 1948-52, and so they’re bringing that very same look again this season to have fun the 75-year anniversary of Minnesota delivering them an elite franchise. 

You already know what’s reality? There’s actually zero point out of Minneapolis or Minnesota on the uniforms. The one factor related to Minneapolis is the blue and gold coloring the Minneapolis Lakers wore and the typography of “Lakers” throughout the entrance. That is it. 

Now if the Lakers had been sporting the jerseys with “MPLS” throughout the entrance like they did in 2017-18, then that is one other story. However the Lakers solely wore these beauties 5 occasions and by no means in opposition to the Wolves, so it by no means introduced as a possibility for controversy. 

The Lakers will put on the Minneapolis uniforms once more Saturday after they host the Denver Nuggets.