Raiders News: Derek Carr To Wear Arm Sleeve During 2020 Season In Honor Of Kobe Bryant

Although Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr may be preparing to usher in a new era at Allegiant Stadium in the 2020 NFL season, he has never been one to pass up on an opportunity to honor his roots as a sports fan.

Carr’s fandom of the Los Angeles Lakers had been well-documented during his rise as a star under center for the Raiders. He grieved alongside the Purple and Gold faithful after the sudden and tragic passing of Kobe Bryant on Jan. 26.

Bryant’s legacy is one that transcended the boundaries of basketball and into other countless areas of sports and entertainment. Carr is making sure that it is engrained into the fabric of the NFL as well.

According to Vic Tafur of The Athletic, Carr plans on wearing an arm sleeve to pay homage to Bryant this season:

Derek Carr will wear an arm sleeve to honor Kobe Bryant. “Watched every game he played. He meant so much to me. When he followed me on Twitter, it was one of the best days of my life. Then I got to know him …
“It’s all about that Mamba Mentality.”

— Vic Tafur (@VicTafur) August 4, 2020

While Bryant’s shooter’s sleeve went over his right arm, Carr plans to put the sleeve over his left arm since it will be opposite of his throwing arm. Of course, it is the Mamba Mentality that serves as the most crucial piece of apparel for him.

Carr can take solace in the fact that he had the fortune of living out a childhood dream by getting well-acquainted with Bryant. The Hall of Famer offered up some words of encouragement for the Raiders star back when he suffered a season-ending broken right fibula.

Come back better than ever @derekcarrqb #muse #dominaterecovery https://t.co/AsWubGEfhW

— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) December 28, 2016

Carr is not the only one in the NFL that made plans to honor Bryant leading up to the 2020 campaign. The Philadelphia Eagles recently revealed a mural of Bryant at their practice facility featuring the “Kobe’s 10 Rules” for success:

1. Get better every single day
2. Prove them wrong
3. Work on your weaknesses
4. Execute what you practiced
5. Learn from greatness
6. Learn from wins & losses
7. Practice mindfulness
8. Be ambitious
9. #Believe in your team
10. Learn storytelling

Even cornerback Darius Slay said after joining the Eagles in free agency that he plans on wearing No. 24 in Philadelphia. The onus will now fall on Slay, Carr and the crop of other players that plan to pay homage to Bryant to tap into that next level of their game in the 2020 campaign.