When Tyus Jones first heard that the Minnesota Timberwolves were designing an alternate jersey in honor of Prince, he knew how important it was that the team and Nike get it right. Jones is 22, too young for Prince’s heyday, but he grew up about half an hour from Minneapolis — Prince’s hometown — and understands the musical superstar’s connection to the region and its basketball teams. “Being from here, you know,” Jones says. “He’s obviously an icon, but he’s even more of an icon and a legend here.”
More on Uniforms
They retained at least some of the craziness. The right shoulder features a pattern designed to mimic the studding on one shoulder of the jackets Prince often wore around the 1984 release of "Purple Rain." Coleman wanted to stitch actual studs onto the jerseys, but that proved too complicated, he says. The font in the "Wolves" wordmark echoes the diagonal, jagged style of the lettering on the "Purple Rain" album cover.
The Detroit Pistons announced today the unveiling of their Nike City Edition “Motor City” uniform that will be worn during 18 game dates throughout the 2018-19 regular season. Crafted by Flagstar Bank, the Detroit Pistons’ official jersey partner, the uniforms will debut on November 23 when the club hosts the Houston Rockets at Little Caesars Arena. The Detroit Pistons City Edition uniform ties into the culture of Detroit and offers Pistons fans a limited-edition jersey option at retail. Through collaboration with the NBA and Nike, the Pistons created this uniform based on inspiration from both the automotive culture – Motor City across the front, bold highway-like striping – and also the hard-nosed mentality of the city. The uniform, which has a black base color with gray accents and embellishments, will be accompanied on court with special-edition warm-up apparel.
The Charlotte Hornets today unveiled the City Edition uniform to be worn during the 2018-19 season. The Hornets are scheduled to wear the uniform for the first time on Monday, November 19, when they host the Boston Celtics. The black uniform once again features the phrase “Buzz City” on the chest plate, though the words and uniform numbers are now teal, with black and teal outlines. The player name is entirely in teal. The sides and back of both the jersey and shorts have a gray pattern designed to represent the wings of a hornet. The jersey also includes the phrase “City of Flight” in teal above the jock tag at the bottom left. The waistband of the shorts displays an “H” surrounded by wings similar to those on the original Nike Air Jordan I and II shoes. The team’s secondary logo appears in teal on each leg. A flap appears adjacent to the logo on each side, with the one on the right leg concealing a hidden “CHA.”
Here's more from the Nuggets on the uniforms: In 2018-19, the current update of the City Edition uniform was a joint project between the Denver Nuggets and NIKE. The new design is meant to honor the classic design while modernizing it to fit the Mile High City’s advancement, evolution and modernization that is taking place in the present era. The return of the Rainbow Skyline uniforms marks 25 years since the design was originally retired as the team’s main uniforms. The last time the Nuggets team wore the classic version of the uniform was for a one-night-only special event during Dikembe Mutombo’s jersey retirement ceremony on Oct. 29. 2016. Per the Nuggets, the team will wear the City Edition uniforms seven times this season, with the first game coming on Nov. 13.
The Thunder have a City Edition look that honors the state's Native American heritage. The uniforms are turquoise, which represents the 11th anniversary stone and the native color of friendship. Oklahoma City is in the midst of its 11th season in the state. The "OKC" on the front of the jersey pays homage to the Four Corners as well.
Like last season, the Magic are using a celestial theme for their City Edition uniforms in 2018-19. This season's edition features a shimmery cosmic look and feel and the jerseys have more of a black tone than the blue and black look from last season. The Orlando Magic unveiled its “City Edition” uniform today. The City Edition uniform uses a celestial theme as the central focus to encourage and inspire fans to "reach for the stars."
The Crossover: Bulls City Edition uniform.
On November 17, the Brooklyn Nets will take the court in their Notorious B.I.G. inspired City Edition alternatives. The all-back uniform features a “Brooklyn camo” pattern along the trim of both the jersey and shorts that’s an obvious nod to Biggie’s colorful Coogi sweaters he wore during his days dominating the charts in the 90s. We’ll spare you any corny "Juicy" or “Hypnotize” references, but when images of the jersey first leaked on social media let’s just say it was a hit. “I wish we could wear it more than 16 times,” Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie told us.
What was your reaction when you first saw the jersey? Dinwiddie: I thought the jersey was dope. I actually just saw it officially in person for the first time [Tuesday]. I know it got leaked on social media but, nah man, I wish we could wear it more than 16 times. Did you guys have any hint that this is what Nike was going to go with for the City Edition jerseys this year? Dinwiddie: I didn’t know. I wasn’t privy to that information. I heard they were going to do some Biggie stuff with the City jersey, but that was it.
The Timberwolves this morning sent out a news release for a “major business announcement” taking place Thursday at Paisley Park — Prince’s sprawling Chanhassen estate.
While nothing has been officially confirmed by the team, I’m told the Wolves will be unveiling a new Prince-themed uniform to be worn on select occasions. The unveiling, which is not open to the public, is set for 10 a.m. Thursday.
But the thing works. It gets better every time you look at it. Gray jerseys are rare enough in the NBA that this one stands out. The flourishes of color -- red-white-and-blue striping, blue shadow behind the jersey numbers -- bring almost double the usual flair because of how starkly they pop against that gray. The stripes work as a reference to both the Sixers' history-based identity, and the patriotic boxing trunks Apollo Creed and then Rocky Balboa wore across several films. Players like them. The team had a few players wear the jerseys, and re-enact scenes from the movies to include in promotional material. Ben Simmons posed in a local boxing gym. Robert Covington ran some of the route Rocky traced in training sequences -- including the city's famed Italian Market. Best of all: T.J. McConnell in a gray sweat suit, standing in a real-life, freezing-cold meat locker, hands wrapped in bloody tape.
They tried reworking Ballin' Ben so that he would stand in Rocky's celebratory pose, arms over head, hands balled up in firsts. They decided to stick with the same Ben. They also plopped a "76" onto the bottom of the shorts, and a small blue "Philadelphia, USA" above the official NBA/Nike tag. Unfold the right vent at the bottom of the shorts, and you'll find the famous Revolutionary-era "join or die" snake that adorned center court during playoff games last season -- and will again this time around.
The new "City" uniform -- the one replacing those grey jerseys -- will reportedly be dark blue, perhaps a nod to the shade used in the popular blue alternate jerseys from the first LeBron era. It's not clear if the team will use "The Land" again on the jerseys -- my guess is it won't -- but the ensemble will feature some sort of ode to the city whether it's another nickname, a landmark or symbol. The team also wore blue during their Price-Daugherty-Nance glory days of the late 1980s, though the shade was more of a navy blue.
Washington’s football team uses a slur for its nickname. Cleveland’s baseball team uses a demeaning caricature for a logo. Even the teams that use Native American nicknames more honorably rarely started out that way. The Thunder could be onto a new chapter – a professional sports team that uses Native American imagery positively from the onset.
The Memphis Grizzlies today unveiled their refreshed identity system on grizzlies.com which marks the newest evolution of the team’s brand since 2004 and includes three newly designed Nike uniforms and two new courts at FedExForum along with a reimagined logo, icon and wordmark system.
In addition, the team announced FedEx as the Memphis Grizzlies’ first-ever Jersey Sponsor. FedEx will be integrated into all jersey editions for players on-court and fans purchasing the new uniforms at Grizzlies-controlled retail locations.
Peter Edmiston: Statement Edition uniform, note the FedEx logo is different and the piping is only on one leg
Sole Collector: First look at LeBron's new Lakers jersey: trib.al/GyobUdq pic.twitter.com/kClo5tYHp3
Whitney Medworth: modell's tweeted these lakers jerseys and then deleted them. it's looking like showtime is back.
Denver Nuggets: 🔥🔥🔥 #EVOLVE2018
Tonight, the Denver Nuggets unveiled an evolved brand identity that includes a new color palette, five distinct modern logos and three updated uniforms at a VIP event at Dairy Block in downtown Denver. During halftime of Game 3 of the NBA Finals, Nuggets executives, players and coaches were on-site to reveal the updated look that captures the evolution of both the city of Denver and the team.
T.J. McBride: Sources have confirmed to @MileHighSports that the Denver Nuggets will be changing their branding and uniforms sometime this offseason. By next year you can expect a near overhaul of the team's current branding. The Nuggets themselves have been very tight lipped about this change and I have not been able to confirm any differences that there may or may not be. Regardless, the Nuggets branding and uniforms will be looking different next season.
Want a uniform to represent Miami’s vibrant and colorful reputation? You’re going to love the Heat’s new Nike “City Edition” uniforms. The Heat unveiled the Miami Vice-themed uniform that includes jerseys with pink, black and powder blue accents on Tuesday, and it didn’t disappoint.
The Heat will debut the new look Thursday when they take on the Sacramento Kings at AmericanAirlines Arena. In addition, a full Miami Vice-themed Heat merchandise line, which includes t-shirts and hats, will be available to the public starting at midnight. The uniform features the word “Miami” written in the original Miami Arena script across the chest and it’s “inspired by Heat history and Miami in the 1980s.”
For the last couple of weeks, we’ve been seeing hints and possible leaks of the 2018 NBA All-Star Game uniforms. Today we can finally put an end to the “rumours” tag. I’ve obtained official photos of the black set of uniforms, specifically the LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook versions. Since we still don’t know which players will be playing for which team, technically these uniforms won’t necessarily be the ones to be sold to the public, but they will either be these or in the white version of the same template.
Dave McMenamin: LeBron had significant input in CLE’s new “The Land” uni. He told me he’s confident that once fans get over the initial surprise and see the Cavs wear them in games, they will become a popular alternative look. “The internet always hates on something different at first,” he said.
Every NBA team is adding another alternate uniform, and the two local teams will highlight some of the best parts of the Big Apple with their “City Edition” threads. The Knicks will honor the New York City Fire Department. The jersey features an FDNY crest that says “Knicks” and “N.Y.C.” along with ladder and fire hydrant symbols. The Knicks’ “City Edition” is one of four that has not been officially unveiled by the team, but Nike’s website has a Kristaps Porzingis version for sale.
Luke Walton is a fan of the Kobe Bryant-inspired/designed Nike City edition Lakers alternate jersey. "I think they're awesome," Walton said. "I can't wait to get one for myself. I am not going to suit up. I will just wear it around the house. Full uniform. Taped ankles and everything. Just something a little different. It's got his own nice little touches. I always thought he did a really good job, he was always heavily involved in the design with his own shoe and I have always been a fan of those. I think he does a really nice job with the subtleties of the jersey that was put together. I think it will be fun for the team and the fans."
LeBron James explains what he likes about the Cleveland Cavaliers' new "City" edition gray alternative uniforms by Nike that will debut on Feb. 3 at home against Houston. "They’re phenomenal," James said Wednesday. "I was happy to be a part of it. I love the color scheme, I love the Ohio crest on the front of the shorts, I like the color combination of the gray with the gold in navy, you can do so many different (combinations) … They allowed us to do a lot with it. It was fun, it was a fun procedure." How did James become involved in the design process? "Um, well I have a pretty good relationship with the makers of the uniforms and I have a pretty good relationship with the company that’s wearing the uniforms," he said, making not-so-subtle references to Nike and the Cavs. "I was a part of pretty much the whole process. If we’re changing, we wanted to kind of change our logo and things of that nature. Any time I get a little input on something like that I think it’s pretty cool. I like to wear ‘em, I like to know what my teammates like and then I like to know what our fans would like to see when they’re wearing ‘em to our games and things of that nature, not only at home, but on the road. I’m looking forward to wearing The Land uniforms in The Land."
Mike Fisher: #Mavs ‘City Edition’ from @Nike
Chris Ramsay: Love the new @Portland Trail Blazers uniforms.
Candace Buckner: #Wizards “City Edition” uniforms will debut Jan. 30 at home against the Oklahoma City Thunder. In all, the Wiz will wear them 12 times for the rest of the season (six at home and six on the road)
Will Guillory: Here are the new Pelicans city edition uniforms by Nike
The idea came to Kobe Bryant right away when his longtime collaborators at Nike told him the Lakers wanted their fourth jersey -- the so-called "city edition" -- designed in his honor: a snakeskin pattern to play off of his "Black Mamba" nickname. "The snake came to me immediately," Bryant says. "It came to me so fast, I was thinking, 'This can't be that easy. This idea is not going to work.' I spent months trying to talk myself out of it. But in the end, simplicity always wins."
Kobe Bryant doesn't mind that the snakeskin print -- the jersey's defining feature -- doesn't exactly pop. "Black added a level of mystery," Bryant says. "You watch athletes run up and down the floor, but you don't know what is inside of them. And that's what the black mamba stands for -- what is inside of you. It doesn't stand just for me. It stands for an attitude that should be inside of you when you put the Laker jersey on. You should play with a killer approach."
The 76ers unveiled their “City Edition” uniforms Wednesday morning. The parchment paper-colored outfits, featuring a blue “Phila” in signature-style lettering, are the fourth uniform the Sixers will wear this season. There’s also red and blue trim around the collar down to the arm holes, in addition to red trim halfway around the blue numbers.
The Thunder’s final set of Nike uniforms for this season will go on sale Wednesday, and the team will debut them on the court Jan. 25. The “City” jerseys are a brand-new look for the Thunder in a dark gray tone with pops of color in orange and blue that evoke the team’s shield logo. The “OKC” and jersey number on the front are trimmed in a bright yellow. Jerseys and apparel from the City collection will go on sale Wednesday at 10 a.m. at the Thunder Shop at Chesapeake Energy Arena and online at okcthunder.com/shop.
The bright gold to deep burgundy bands on the uniform represent the famous red rock formations found throughout southern Utah, and they also reflect the fire, passion and intensity of the Utah Jazz organization and players. The word "UTAH" is shown across the chest—the City Edition is the only one of this season's four uniforms to feature the name of our state. Another special aspect of the City Edition uniform is that the Jazz will be wearing a state of Utah logo that features the basketball lines from the primary logo. This represents how the Jazz belong to all of Utah.
Nike publicly addressed its "lighter" NBA jerseys that have come under scrutiny after at least five players' jerseys have ripped during the 2017-18 season. The company provided a statement to USA TODAY Sports on Tuesday morning, noting plans to alter the jerseys in order to avoid more tears during games. It did not disclose how many jerseys, if not all, would be discarded or replaced for better quality.
"We are very concerned to see any game-day tear and are working to implement a solution that involves standardizing the embellishment process and enhancing the seam strength of game-day jerseys," Nike said in the statement. "The quality and performance of our products are of utmost importance, and we are working with the NBA and teams to avoid this happening in the future."
The Heat are going to look like those 1990s teams that featured Alonzo Mourning and Tim Hardaway this month. No, Mourning and Hardaway aren’t making comebacks. Instead, the Heat will sport their Nike “Classic Edition” jerseys for most of their games this month starting with Wednesday’s home contest against the Bulls.
Andy Larsen: Jersey FYI: the Jazz will get new Statement jerseys every two years, new Community jerseys every single year.
The NBA is permitting teams to put advertisement patches on their jerseys beginning this season, and South Florida-based Ultimate Software has won the competition to occupy that space on Heat jerseys, according to two league sources.
“We are extremely proud to have Ultimate Software as the first partner on the Miami Heat Jersey,” said John Vidalin, the Heat’s executive vice president/revenue officer. “This is truly a historic opportunity and we are thrilled that we will be partnering with a company based here in South Florida.” The ads will appear on the left shoulder of Heat jerseys during games.
Jessica Camerato: The #Sixers will wear their Statement Edition jerseys for the following games, selected to honor dates in franchise history. pic.twitter.com/Uen41LMNr2
Finally, the Warriors are willing to hold hands in public with Oakland. The Warriors have new Oakland-themed jerseys for this coming season. This evening, the Warriors will unveil their new “The Town” jerseys. They are a take on the renowned “The City” jerseys — but with an Oakland twist.
The Charlotte Hornets today unveiled their Classic edition uniforms for the 2017-18 season, bringing back the design worn by the original Charlotte Hornets from their inception in 1988 through 1997. Like the previously released white Association and teal Icon editions, the uniform features the logo of Nike’s Jordan Brand. The Hornets – the only team in U.S. professional sports to have the iconic Jumpman logo on its uniforms – will feature five different uniforms in their 2017-18 uniform collection. “Since we brought the Hornets name back in 2014, our fans have practically been begging for us to wear a version of the original Hornets uniform,” said Hornets President & COO Fred Whitfield. “We could not be more excited to give them what they want and to see the historic pinstriped, teal Charlotte uniform back on an NBA court.”
Howard Beck: Lakers make it official. Retiring both Kobe jerseys.
Anthony Slater: The new Warriors jerseys with the Nike swoosh, Rakuten badge, little W logo on waistband pic.twitter.com/qbIyPTtIJ7
Ramona Shelburne: Update. BOTH of Kobe's numbers will be retired.
Ramona Shelburne: The Lakers are planning to retire Kobe's jersey before the Warriors game on Dec 18, per team sources. No word yet on whether it'll be No. 8 or 24.
According to league sources, the Rockets have made no plans to retire McGrady's jersey in Houston, and revisiting that decision has been put on hold while the new ownership comes into place. Last week, Alexander reportedly agreed to sell the franchise to Tilman Fertitta for $2.2 billion. Currently, Trevor Ariza has been wearing No. 1 for the Rockets over the past three seasons. As of now, he won't have to find another jersey for training camp.
While NBA fans seemed to be thrilled with the new logo, their reaction to the new threads was less-than-stellar.
Mark Berman: #Rockets new look: twitter.com/houstonrockets…
Jeff Zillgitt: Suns unveil new Nike uniforms: pic.twitter.com/0JxSGLaw7d
The brand's iconic orange, white and black logo will appear on the team's white, green and black jerseys. Terms were not disclosed. "When we first saw how it looked, we thought it was just so authentic and natural," said Anoop Prakash, the company's director of U.S. marketing. "Two brands with heritage in Milwaukee, built on grit and Midwestern values, who brought their product to the world and succeeded."
The Utah Jazz today revealed the designs for two of its new uniforms for the 2017-18 season with their “Association” (white) and “Icon” (navy) uniforms in partnership with the National Basketball Association’s new agreement with Nike as the official apparel provider. The uniforms also include the first-ever patch, sponsored by Qualtrics, with the 5 For The Fight logo representing the campaign for cancer research.
Jeff Zillgitt: A look at the Cavs' new Nike uniforms: pic.twitter.com/p7XyKfygfl
Perhaps at least as interesting was the choice of players showcased in the promo video. Cleveland's video obviously featured a lot of LeBron James, but they also included the jerseys of Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love. Irving of course has asked for a trade from the team and is currently not speaking to them, and Love has been mentioned in offseason trade rumors.
Chris Kroeger: Further confirmation #Hornets getting throwback uniforms. There will be two additional looks to go along with current real/white jerseys. twitter.com/conradburry/st…
The Philadelphia 76ers today unveiled two of the team’s four new 2017-18 season Nike jerseys in a digital content series launched on Sixers.com and StubHub. In "Made for the Moment," the three-part content series presented by StubHub, 76ers guard Markelle Fultz chronicles his experience of putting on the 76ers jersey for the first time and the anticipation of representing the city of Philadelphia. The series final video will be released exclusively on @Sixers this afternoon, Fultz will share his reflections on the significance of wearing No. 20, officially announcing it as his 76ers number.
"The Philadelphia 76ers and Nike are two iconic brands committed to elevating the game of basketball through innovation while seamlessly honoring the rich traditions of both organizations," Philadelphia 76ers Chief Sales and Marketing Officer Chris Heck said. "We're excited to unveil the first of two jerseys with our incredible partner, StubHub, an organization as committed to engaging with fans in authentic ways and generating unforgettable live sports and entertainment experiences as we are. We are confident that the next two jerseys we unveil will additionally capture the spirit of this historic city, the imagination of new Philadelphia, and the passion of our loyal fans. Before the 2017-18 season has even begun, our 'Welcome to the Moment' campaign has generated national recognition and acclaim, and we look forward to continuing the momentum as the season progresses."
The Denver Nuggets and The Western Union Company (NYSE: WU) today announced a sponsorship agreement that pairs one of the leading global companies headquartered in Denver with the hometown National Basketball Association (NBA) team. As part of the three-year sponsorship, Western Union will be the first jersey patch sponsor for the Nuggets, with the Western Union logo adorning the jerseys of all players beginning in the 2017-2018 NBA Season. Last April, the NBA approved the sale of jersey sponsorships as part of a pilot program. The Nuggets become the 11th team to secure a jersey sponsor. Western Union will also be a co-presenting sponsor of the team’s 50th anniversary celebration.
Finally, the much-anticipated Nike uniforms were unveiled — first on video — and Stephenson served as the model. With so much roster turnover, just six guys remain from last year, Stephenson was the face of this new campaign. “It feels awesome,” Stephenson says of his new circumstances. “I’ve been working really hard and I can’t wait ’til this season starts. I’m just happy.”
The NBA's transition from Adidas uniforms to Nike continues, as the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday became the league's latest team to unveil new uniform designs. The new white and blue uniforms -- both of which, in keeping with the league's new rules, can be worn either at home or on the road -- are similar to the team's previous designs. The primary difference is that a thin red drop shadow has been added to the chest marks and numbers.
In addition, the phrase "Brotherly Love" has been added toward the jersey hemline. This element will not be visible during games, however, because NBA players are required to tuck in their jerseys.
One of the most anticipated jerseys to come from Nike's new NBA deal was unveiled on Monday as the Charlotte Hornets showed off their Jordan-branded uniforms. The Michael Jordan-owned Hornets will be the only team in the league to wear jerseys featuring Jumpman logos instead of Nike Swooshes. The new Jerseys come with new naming conventions: The traditional home jersey is now known as the "association edition" and the traditional away is now known as the "icon edition."
Coinciding with the introduction of the new uniforms, the NBA is eliminating its “Home” and “Road” uniform designations. Beginning with the 2017-18 season, home teams will pick which uniform they will wear and visiting teams will choose a contrasting uniform within their own assortment. Because of this change, Nike and the NBA worked together to create four core uniforms for each team, classified as “editions,” which draw from the rich heritage of the NBA and its franchises. The Association Edition, the traditional home white uniform, links the 30 teams as members of the most exclusive basketball club in the world. It represents an achievement that most athletes have worked their entire lives to reach. The Icon Edition, previously known as the road uniform, represents the rich heritage and iconic identity that exists within each franchise. This edition utilizes the team’s primary color, a color that dominates the closets of the most diehard fans.
The Utah Jazz are slated to wear a color of jersey they've never worn as a primary color before in 2017-18: gold. League sources tell KSL.com that Nike, the NBA's new jersey provider in the 2017-18 season, will provide a primarily gold-colored uniform for the Jazz. The jersey will be an alternate, not one of the Jazz's primary jerseys, and may not debut until December. No mockup of the jersey is currently available.
Jeff Zillgitt: Sacramento Kings sent out images of their new Nike uniforms complete with Nike logo and Blue Diamond sponsorship patch: pic.twitter.com/1mLXqfs2LZ" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">pic.twitter.com/1mLXqfs2LZ
If you love the Charlotte Hornets’ teal uniforms or the black “Buzz City” design, you’ll like a change in what the team wears for home games next season. As the NBA shifts from Adidas to Nike as its uniform supplier, the league is also loosening its policy on which team wears what color each game.
Steve Kyler: For those that asked - Nike NBA gear expected to be available by end of September. Deal official kicks in Oct 1
It was widely reported that Infor, the company sponsoring the Nets jersey ad, paid more to have their red logo “pop” against the Nets black-and-white gear. It’s why the Nets got a lot more money —$8 million— than all but one team selling space on jersey. That one team was the Cavaliers, who have LeBron James. But on Tuesday morning, Darren Rovell tweets that the “pop,” the “clash” of red on black-and-white has been abandoned.
Milton Bradley: Redick said in interview w/ team site that jersey #4 was taken. He said will be clearer at a later date. What's this about? Tom Moore: The Sixers decided to retire Dolph Schayes' No. 4 while Nerlens Noel was wearing that number.
While there will be a time and place to recognize your lasting impact in Memphis, starting today, as stated earlier by Controlling Owner, Robert Pera, number 50 will never be worn by any other member of the Memphis Grizzlies.
Barry Jackson: Pat Riley announces Chris Bosh's jersey number (1) will be retired. Classy.
Alex Kennedy: The NBA Store released the best-selling jerseys for the 2016-17 season. Here is the top 15: pic.twitter.com/iuHuj7SVwy
Alex Kennedy: The NBA Store released the best-selling merchandise for the 2016-17 season. Top 10 teams: pic.twitter.com/MCRdFmMYc8
A Team USA Olympic basketball jersey that could have been worn by Michael Jordan sold Thursday for $273,904 in an auction, according to Grey Flannel Auctions.
