See the best and worst of the NBA’s new City jerseys
When Nike took over as the NBA’s official jersey manufacturer three seasons ago, the company introduced the concept of “City” jerseys, new looks for each team that tied in to the local community in some way. Those jerseys have been refreshed every year (though there have been a couple exceptions), and this year’s batch has slowly made its way into the public eye and onto the court. On Wednesday, multiple NBA teams officially unveiled their new looks for 2019-20, some of which will be familiar to fans, while others look completely different from anything seen before.
Introducing this season’s City Edition uniforms, inspired by the Chicago Flag and the lake and rivers of Chicago. pic.twitter.com/Q0Yf3eoApO
For the second consecutive year, the Bulls’ City jersey takes cues from the Chicago flag, moving the stars that had been across the chest to the shorts, and swapping the base color of black to the flag’s more recognizable blue. It’s a major departure for a team that has worn almost exclusively white, red and black in its history. The blues will be worn on court for the first time on Dec. 4 against the Memphis Grizzlies, who, coincidentally, have worn almost exclusively blue throughout their time in Memphis.
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If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Last year’s City jersey, which featured the Nuggets’ vintage rainbow skyline on a white background, was such a hit that the team mostly recycled the concept for 2019-20, changing to a black base. The team originally wore the rainbow skyline look from from 1981-82 through the 1992-93 season. They’ll break these out when they welcome LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers to Denver on Dec. 3
Los Angeles Lakers
Designed for dominance, inspired by legacy.
Introducing this year’s City Edition Uniform by @SHAQ. pic.twitter.com/MbJUcKFVsh
While most teams have used their “City” jerseys to tap in to their city’s history or iconography, the Lakers have eschewed that theme, instead using the alternate look to pay respects to Lakers “lore.” The 2017-18 “Black Mamba” jerseys were designed by Kobe Bryant, the 2018-19 “Showtime” jerseys drew inspiration from Magic Johnson, and this year’s look shouts out Shaquille O’Neal, specifically his claim to being the “Most Dominant Ever.” In addition to the “MDE” striping, the side panels also include stars that highlight accomplishments from O’Neal’s career.
It’s BACK!!
All the details on the return of the Cream City Jersey!!
#CreamCity
Following the lead of the Pistons (Motor City), the Hornets (Buzz City), the Kings (Sactown) and the Warriors (The Bay) among others, the Bucks will be showing off an alternate name for Milwaukee on their City jerseys this year. Cream City refers to the cream bricks that give Milwaukee its distinctive look, and the Bucks leaned into that not only with the name, but by going with cream jerseys as well. Milwaukee will officially become Cream City on the court on Nov. 30 against the Charlotte Hornets.
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The Timberwolves’ Prince-inspired jerseys were a huge hit last year, but the team went in a different direction this year, reaching back into the City’s past. The light blue background and the “MSP” wordmark evoke the “MPLS” jerseys worn by the Lakers before they moved to Los Angeles. MSP represents the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, with the team’s shorts including a logo made up of the outline of the two cities. Fans from both cities — and the rest of Minnesota, and the world — will see the Timberwolves wear these for the first time on Dec. 13 against the LA Clippers.
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Owing to the length of the city’s name, the 76ers have rarely worn “Philadelphia” across the chest over the years, more often going with the abbreviated “Phila.” But this year’s City jersey has the full name spelled out in script, along with multiple elements that pay homage to the Liberty Bell, one of the city’s most historic icons. The jersey has a lot in common with Philadelphia’s original City jersey from 2017-18, after last year’s significant departure with a Rocky-inspired look. Fans will get their first on-court look at this year’s edition on Nov. 30 against the Indiana Pacers.
Blending old branding and new branding, the new City Edition uniforms feature red, baby blue, white and gray. pic.twitter.com/NAJmxepDgP
Kings fans will easily recognize this new jersey, as it is essentially an updated version of last year’s jersey, which itself was an updated version of the 2017-18 jersey. This year the blue of last year’s look has been replaced by red, which the team says “represent[s] that passion and energy that has echoed through our arena.” The fans will get their first chance to show that passion and energy while watching these jerseys Nov. 30 against the Nuggets.
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Back in the 2017 playoffs, the Wizards wore a “Stars & Stripes” look that was so popular the team couldn’t keep the jerseys in stock long enough for fans to buy them. However, the look — which was originally designed for games in which the teams honored the six branches of the U.S. military — was shelved when Nike took over for Adidas. Now it’s back, with the team’s Bullets-era inspired DC logo taking the place of the “Washington” wordmark. This version of the jersey will first be seen on the court when the Wizards host the 76ers on Dec. 5.