Don’t call it purple. It’s “Forum Blue,” at least according to Toronto-raised businessman Jack Kent Cooke, the one-time owner of the L.A. Lakers and the creator of the team’s now-famous look. Cooke named the colour after the new arena he built for his team because, oddly, he just didn’t like the word purple.
No matter what you want to call it, though, the intense hue matched with golden yellow is a classic, by-the-book colour combination. Direct opposites on the colour wheel, working together to enhance each other’s richness.
It should come as no surprise that the logo—“Lakers” written in a traditional font over a golden basketball—bears a distinct resemblance to another golden orb perched atop the NBA Finals trophy, which was designed well after L.A. adopted its logo. The team and its look are synonymous with success. The sunny threads have been worn by a who’s who of NBA greats from Wilt and West to Kareem and Magic, Shaq and Kobe. They’ve also been worn for 11 of the franchise’s 16 championships. When asked about his thoughts on wearing the iconic uniform for the first time this season, Steve Nash said, “You certainly can feel the history.”
The Lakers didn’t always wear such a regal colour palette—and didn’t always play in L.A. Their dynasty began in Minnesota—“land of 10,000 lakes,” hence the name—and back then, the team wore periwinkle blue jerseys and shorts with numbers, names and borders popped out in sunflower yellow. The Minneapolis Lakers had a glorious reign of their own. They won the old Basketball Association of America’s last title in 1949, then the newly created NBA’s first the next season. They’d win three more championships from ’52–54, but Hollywood’s bright lights were beckoning and the team went west in 1960.
When the Lakers arrived in L.A., the name stuck but the uniforms had to go. They first showed up on court in deep blue with a light blue shadow under white numbers and cursive “Los Angeles” text across the chest; the current uniform debuted in 1966. The Lakers bring both early looks out of retirement on occasion, but it’s wearing gold at home and Forum Blue on the road that has become the standard. Lakers legend Magic Johnson put it best in a New Year’s tweet to the team: “As Lakers fans we demand and expect more once you put that Lakers Purple & Gold uniform on!”
OK, fine. It’s purple. And it’s glorious.
This story originally appeared in Sportsnet magazine. Subscribe here.