Lakers clearly stealing from Raptors with leaked jersey design

The aesthetic-obsessed Toronto Raptors fans out there always get a kick out of the NBA revealing all of their new jerseys. However, for every timeless classic and surprise hit alternate jersey, there ate an equal number of designs that should have stayed in a designer’s sketchpad.

The Raptors went all in on the “We The North” branding following their championship season, incorporating a chevron pointing up on the front of their current red and white jerseys while introducing a similar black outfit that included the unusual lettering on the front. It appears as though some teams in the league fell in love with that design.

According to multiple sources that have leaked jersey designs in the past, the Los Angeles Lakers will unveil another black and purple alternate uniform for the 2023-24 season. The difference this year, however, is the incorporation of some Raptors-esque designs.

The “Los Angeles” lettering forms a chevron over top of the number on the front of the jersey, which looks suspiciously like what the Raptors have tried to pull off with their own black uniforms in recent years. Calling these jerseys polarizing is an understatement.

Lakers’ black jersey looks similar to Toronto Raptors’ alternate

At least when the Raptors went off the beaten path and leaned into the chevron, it made sense as part of the whole “North” motif. The fact they won their only championship in franchise history with a chevron alternate jersey also means something.

What is LA trying to say here? We the…South? This looks like what would happen if someone ordered their “Mamba Nights” jersey that honored Kobe Bryant from a bootleg store hallway across the world. There’s too much going on for this look to really hit.

The Lakers’ subreddit doesn’t seem to be a fan of their blatant Raptors thievery, with many of the top comments saying the jersey is “disgusting” before comparing the lettering on the front to a pyramid enclosing the number inside of it. At least the Raptors kept their black jersey somewhat clean and minimalist.

Between copying the Raptors jerseys in an inferior fashion and trying to trade for premium Toronto assets with minimal tradeable parts in return, the Lakers have been doing everything they can to rip off what the Raptors are trying to do. These jerseys aren’t original, and they need to go back to the drawing board.