The first year of Nike’s partnership with the NBA brought fans closer than ever to their home teams with the introduction of City Edition uniforms. The approach was straight-forward: take features of a team’s city and incorporate them into the uniform’s design. But the inspirations were far from simple. Architecture, landmarks, famous figures and mottos became creative backdrops for the jerseys, creating a piece of fan culture that’s wholly loyal to communities across the League.
This year, City Edition uniforms are back, and each jersey offers more details that provide a deeper look at a team’s relationship with its city. Some elements are familiar. Others are new. One point that hasn’t changed: City Edition uniforms come straight from the source — the fans who form the cultures of their zip codes.
ATLANTA HAWKS
The 2018 season marks 50 years since the Hawks took roots in Atlanta. A winged print flanks the uniform’s left and right side to give the appearance of birds in flight, which is exaggerated further by gold piping.
BOSTON CELTICS
The Boston Celtics are the winningest franchise in NBA history, and its uniforms are inspired by the white warm-up jackets of former Celtics greats, from Cousy to Russell to Parish to Bird.
BROOKLYN NETS
The legacy of the late Christopher Latore Wallace, the Notorious B.I.G., appears on details of the Brooklyn City Edition uniform, most notably on the multicolor camo print along the side panels.
CHARLOTTE HORNETS
The team’s sharp color palette draws from North Carolina’s contributions to the history of aircraft flight. A shield logo hidden inside the flap of the shorts is inspired by the commitment to team unity and is reminiscent of the Air Jordan Flight logo.
CHICAGO BULLS
Printed proudly across the jersey chest is a nod to Chicago’s four-star city flag, with “Sweet Home” included on the shorts and the base of the jersey.
CLEVELAND CAVALIERS
Cleveland’s jersey channels the natural power of Lake Erie, and the script on the front of the jersey mimics the Cleveland sign that welcomes visitors to the lake.
DALLAS MAVERICKS
The Dallas of yesteryear, with memories of cowboy boots and Western movies, is given a modern facelift thanks to the city’s thriving technology sector and entrepreneurial spirit. Teal accents underscore the oversized Maverick logo and jersey graphics. A single star inside the right flap of the shorts honors the state nickname.
DENVER NUGGETS
The team’s memorable rainbow skyline logo reflects the 1974 design that guided some of Denver’s most successful seasons. A new detail in this year’s City Edition is a group of elevation lines through the logo, inspired by topological maps.
DETROIT PISTONS
The concept for an anthracite color scheme and double, hand-stitched vertical stripes come from the city’s iron and steel buildings, forged by a distinctive work ethic.
GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS
Bridging the Golden State Warriors’ home with San Francisco’s rich Chinese culture, the team’s arena is reimagined into a traditional Chinese coin on the uniform’s chest and shorts.
HOUSTON ROCKETS
Chinese culture is woven into the fabric of Houston; the crimson red of its City Edition jersey honors traditional Chinese formalwear, the color of which represents good fortune and success. “Rockets” and “19” appear on the chest in Chinese characters in anticipation of the forthcoming season.
INDIANA PACERS
Originally designed to evoke speed, this update to the traditional color-blocked jersey reimagines the team’s classic yellow marks as a race track. The uniform also pulls details from the Indiana Flo-Jo jersey, which saw the team through six playoff appearances and two Eastern Conference Finals appearances in the ’90s.
LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS
The Clippers moved from San Diego to Los Angeles in 1984, intersecting with L.A.’s hosting of that summer’s celebration of international sport. The red, white and blue Clippers logo is designed to resemble the three-star logo from the ’84 event.
LOS ANGELES LAKERS
Gold accents, premium satin side panels and an allover-pinstripe graphic celebrate Magic Johnson’s three MVPs and five championship rings.
MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES
The city’s love for professional wrestling is called out in the secondary gold underneath the team’s navy base, mimicking the shimmer of a championship belt.
MIAMI HEAT
Hot pink and blue recall the neon signage throughout South Beach, a melting pot of Latin American culture. The MH logo on the waistband has been recolored for a modern flavor.
MILWAUKEE BUCKS
Milwaukee’s MECCA Arena, and its abstract arrangement of color-blocked blues, reds, greens and golds, is the focal point of Milwaukee’s 2018-19 City Edition uniforms.
MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES
The Minnesota City Edition uniform has recognizable details from the outfits that the artist Price wore in his music videos.
NEW ORLEANS PELICANS
The Pelicans’ City Edition uniform celebrates the festivity that only Mardi Gras can inspire. Signature colors of purple, green and gold are blocked across the chest and down the sides of the shorts. A fleur de lis on the waistband honors the city’s French influence.
NEW YORK KNICKS
A blue-and-orange checkerboard print returns to this year’s Knicks uniform. A slimmer print on the chest debuts with the classic NYK basketball logo on the short waistband.
OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER
The Oklahoma City Thunder’s City Edition uniform honors the American Indian Nations in Oklahoma with design elements inspired by traditional Native regalia.
ORLANDO MAGIC
Galaxy-filled side panels frame the Orlando Magic logo across the chest, which has a chrome and metallic sheen.
PHILADELPHIA 76ERS
The off-white stars are meant to resemble parchment paper, a nod to the Declaration of Independence, and more patriotic details appear throughout the uniform, from the red, white and blue on the collar and sleeves to the “Join, or Die” ultimatum on the shorts.
PHOENIX SUNS
With a color palette inspired by dusk in the Arizona desert, the Phoenix City-Edition uniform sports “Los Suns” across the chest and “Somos PHX” above the back tag.
PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS
Rip City faithful will find subtle details that call out the Pacific Northwest, like the northwest-facing sash, and gray-on-black color blocking representing the city’s dark, rainy skies.
SACRAMENTO KINGS
A recommitment to the city comes through in Sacramento’s recommitted design details — the lion ball logo and the traditional sniping elements — as well as new ones, like an updated crown and “SACTOWN” printed above the jersey brand tag.
SAN ANTONIO SPURS
The city’s military history is the focus of the uniform through a black-and-silver blend of operational camouflage pattern. Also front and center: the franchise’s Spur printed across the chest.
TORONTO RAPTORS
For Toronto’s City Edition uniforms, the chevron print, traditionally pointed down, has been reversed to point up, reflecting the team’s position as the northernmost franchise in the NBA. A Maple leaf on the waistband symbolizes fandom for all of Canada.
UTAH JAZZ
Last season, Utah’s City Edition uniforms invited a redesign of the team’s court and stadium. That unmistakable Red Rock aesthetic returns as an homage to Utah’s majestic rock formations and natural landmarks.
WASHINGTON WIZARDS
The marble-inspired side panels evoke the look and texture of the Washington Monument, while the D.C. Flag is featured on the belt of the shorts.
Go Behind the Design of Minnesota, Brooklyn And More
Brooklyn Nets
The multicolor camo print ties together the myriad of cultures, sounds and artists of Brooklyn.
A nod to Biggie's home neighborhood is printed above the jersey's jock tag.
The figurehead for the Brooklyn Nets’ City Edition jersey is a local who made his name known across the world: the late Christopher Latore Wallace, the Notorious B.I.G. himself. As Biggie rose in popularity and revived East Coast rap, he brought Brooklyn with him, spreading his legacy past his Clinton Hill home.
That legacy on the mic appears on details of the uniform, most notably the multicolor camo print along the side panels. The technicolor design points to Biggie's connection to his community and the artistic stylings he made popular.
Minnesota Timberwolves
The Minnesota City Edition uniform is inspired by some of Prince's most memorable attire.
Inside the shorts’ left vent, a paisley graphic honors Paisley Park Records, Prince’s first label.
In 1984, a talented musician out of Minneapolis released an album and a loosely autobiographical film that showcased his hometown’s full creative powers. The late Prince Rogers Nelson, better known to the world by his first name, would leave a powerful mark on music history. This year, his would-be 60th birthday, serves as the inspiration behind Minnesota’s “Purple Rain” City Edition uniforms.
The jersey has recognizable details from outfits that Prince wore in his music videos. On the right shoulder, a metallic graphic is reminiscent of the studs on Prince's jacket. The team script mirrors the lettering on the original Purple Rain album cover. White accents throughout the jersey nod to his ruffled blouses. Inside the shorts’ left vent, a paisley graphic honors Paisley Park Records, Prince’s first label.
Oklahoma City Thunder
The Oklahoma City Thunder’s City Edition uniform honors the American Indian Nations in Oklahoma with design elements inspired by traditional Native regalia.
Hidden inside the shorts is a turtle graphic, that features the circular shape symbolizing the earth and the four legs that represent the four corners of the medicine wheel.
The Oklahoma City Thunder’s City Edition uniform honors the American Indian Nations in Oklahoma with design elements inspired by traditional Native regalia. The geometric shapes that compose the chest script model native beadwork. Hidden inside the shorts is a turtle graphic, that features the circular shape symbolizing the earth and the four legs that represent the four corners of the medicine wheel. The jersey’s turquoise base color, a customary color of friendship, holds special significance for the 2018-19 season: Turquoise is the eleventh anniversary stone in Native tradition, and the 2018-19 season is the eleventh for the Thunder in Oklahoma City.
Philadelphia 76ers
The roughened look of the jersey's heather fabric embodies the hardworking nature of Philadelphia.
An interpretation of the American colonial "Join, or Die" snake symbol appears on the shorts.
The distinctly Philadelphian history of determination and industriousness is woven into the details of the 76ers City Edition jersey. A heather gray completes the base color. The off-white stars are meant to resemble parchment paper, a nod to the Declaration of Independence, and more patriotic details appear throughout the uniform, from the red, white and blue on the collar and sleeves to the “Join, or Die” ultimatum on the shorts. The team’s name on the chest is eschewed for 13 stars, representing the original 13 colonies.
Milwaukee Bucks
The historic MECCA Floor comes alive in the form of abstract color-blocking on the Bucks City Edition jersey.
The uniform keeps its modern-day touch with the addition of the current Bucks logo.
Mention personal expression in basketball and the mind goes to audacious shoe colorways or pregame outfits. It’s easy to forget about the basketball court as a canvas for expression. It was in 1977, when a famous artist was assigned to paint the floor of Milwaukee’s MECCA Arena as an idiosyncratic art piece. Its abstract arrangement of color-blocked blues, reds, greens and golds is the focal point of Milwaukee’s 2018-19 City Edition uniforms.
The colors in the uniform refer to shades in the state’s natural color palette. The blue represents Lake Michigan, the green an ode to the state’s verdant landscape and the gold a callout to Milwaukee’s “Cream City” nickname.
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