Lakers News: Designer Of Classic L.A. Championship Jackets Discusses An Iconic Kobe Bryant Moment
Celebrity fashion designer Jeff Hamilton designed a variety of iconic jackets during the 1990s, draping everyone from LL Cool J to Madonna in his unique designs. The 67-year-old recently came out of a semi-retirement from 2004-2019.
Hamilton sat down with Bally Sports' Brandon "Scoop B" Robinson to discuss a very particular special design, the graphical trophy-stitched jackets donned by Kobe Bryant and several of his Los Angeles Lakers teammates when they won the 2001 NBA title during an insanely dominant 15-1 postseason romp.
Hamilton discussed an iconic Andrew Bernstein photograph of an intense-looking Bryant, clutching the championship trophy and letting the weight of his achievement with Shaquille O'Neal, Derek Fisher, Rick Fox, et al. wash over him while in the team shower.
"It feels like yesterday when I met Kobe.. [he was] 17 years old. It felt like yesterday when I was in that actual locker room when that picture was taken. I was with Andy Bernstein and didn't know where Kobe was... and I knew that the best way for me to get to where the trophy was, was to follow... Andy because he's a Hall of Famer photographer for the NBA and he knew exactly where to be. So we went in and we found Kobe standing in the shower, and having a moment... holding the trophy. And there was a moment of sadness that he was going through. And we were only three or four people at that time when that picture was taken."
Hamilton's leather bomber jackets were a staple of the decade prior, and remained popular into the new millennium.
The jacket, a black-and-purple confection with text and imagery in red, gold and white, reads "Back 2 Back" in red on the chest area, above the Lakers' team logo in white and purple, which in turn is above another red banner reading "NBA Champions" near the bottom of the jacket. On the arm sleeves, the jacket lists every title won by the team while in Los Angeles at that time, ranging from 1972-2001. Since then, the Lakers have won four more titles.
