LOS ANGELES -- When ABC announcer Mike Breen called the closing seconds of the Los Angeles Lakers' NBA Finals-clinching victory in October, he proclaimed, "Banner No. 17 will soon hang in the rafters."
He was right about the hanging part. What Breen didn't know was that when the Lakers open up the season Tuesday against the L.A. Clippers, no one will actually be able to see the banner making its new home at Staples Center.
The Lakers will have a black cloak covering the 2019-20 championship banner for opening night, with the message, "Stay tuned, Lakers family," printed in gold block letters on it.