Nike Releases New NBA “City Edition” Jerseys To Connect Teams To Fans, The City and The Community

Upon learning of the NBA’s collaboration with Nike, fans were eager to see the different jersey designs for this year. According to reports, the duo has just released the new “City Edition” uniforms for its fourth and final set of uniforms, in an effort to connect the fans and the team to the heart of the city.

The new jerseys represent something special for each city, whether its nickname, its legendary hooper or the team’s home court arena. For the Los Angeles Lakers, Nike kept the classic mesh tradition with a twist. The City Edition jerseys honor the Lakers legend, Kobe Bryant with a Mamba-inspired print. LA/24 is printed on the waist with 16 stars to represent the franchise’s titles.

“With City Edition, we felt like this could be really compelling to make a true connection of, still the organization, but the organization in reflection to their city and their community,” the senior graphic designer at the company told USA Today. “What does it mean to be a Chicago Bulls fan? What does it mean to be a part of Chicago.”

For the King’s home team, Nike honored “The Land” by printing its nickname on the front of the City uniforms. On the waist, a silhouette of Cleveland is threaded into the band, while “Defend” is sewn along the jersey tag to represent the team’s slogan “Defend the Land.”

The New York Knicks’ jerseys represent the local Fire Department, with the jersey number printed into a Fire Department crest. As for the Golden State Warriors, Nike represented the Bay Area, by printing its name on the front of the jersey. The name sits right above a Chinese chest emblem, which features the Golden Gate Bridge and other imagery to represent demographic in the area. The Boston Celtics’ jersey pays homage to its home court at TD Garden with a pattern resembling the parquet floor.  

The Brooklyn Nets’ jersey focuses on the history of City’s borough, with the writing inspired by suspension cables on the Brooklyn Bridge. The Pacers’ jerseys pay tribute to Indiana’s auto racing, while the Grizzlies’ represent the “I Am A Man” signs from the Memphis sanitation strike of ’68. The 76ers’ jerseys represent the Declaration of Independence and the Wizards have a marble pattern to represent the Washington monument.

The jerseys will be worn throughout the season until a new set is created for the next year.