Dodgers to give away Kobe Bryant-themed jerseys

LOS ANGELES -- The Black Mamba is going to be honored at the home of the Dodgers' blue heaven.

The Los Angeles Dodgers will be giving away Kobe Bryant-themed baseball jerseys as part of their Lakers Night promotion, the team announced.

The black baseball-style uniforms feature the Dodgers' traditional script logo across the chest with Bryant's No. 8 on the front and his No. 24 on the back. The material is printed to look like the scales of a snake's skin, similar to the commemorative jerseys the Los Angeles Lakers wore in Bryant's memory in the NBA bubble.

Bryant, who died in a helicopter crash along with his daughter Gianna and seven others in 2020, attended a handful of games at Dodgers Stadium and adopted the team so much so that during the 2009 National League Championship Series between L.A. and his hometown Philadelphia Phillies, he wore a blue Dodgers hat to the ballpark.

Bryant announced the Dodgers' starting lineup before Game 4 of the 2018 World Series against the Boston Red Sox,was a guest of former Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda in his field box in 2013 and threw out a commemorative first pitch following his first championship with the Lakers in 2000.

The black Bryant jerseys, featuring Lakers gold trim and accents, will be distributed when the Dodgers host the Atlanta Braves on Sept. 1 for fans who purchase their entry through a special event ticket package on the team's website.

The Dodgers have organized Lakers Night on Aug. 24 in the past as an ode to Bryant's two uniform numbers, but the team will be on the road facing the Cleveland Guardians on that date next month.