The Los Angeles Lakers will host the team’s first-ever Pride Night on Oct. 4 when they host the Sacramento Kings in a preseason matchup.
The night will feature Violet Palmer as the team’s honorary captain. Palmer was a pioneering NBA referee as both a woman and an out LGBTQ official. Also during the evening, the team will honor Los Angeles resident Jason Collins, who famously came out publicly as gay in 2014, becoming the first out active NBA player. Everyone in attendance for Pride Night will get a free Pride Night T-shirt.
The team likely selected a preseason game a they should have little trouble selling out their regular season games after the signing of LeBron James in the offseason. At the end of the day, Pride Nights are in part about selling tickets, and clubs want there to be tickets available for attendees to purchase.
What’s particularly cool about this Pride Night is that the Lakers aren’t just designating a section of Staples Center as the Pride Night section, everyone in the building is part of the event and everyone will get a Pride Night shirt. That’s pretty unique and pretty fantastic.
Thanks to the Lakers for making this night a part of the schedule.
