The NBA and adidas got it right this year with All-Star game uniforms that didn’t try and overdo it with bold colors and outrageous designs. Contrasting with prior years, the uniforms revealed on Monday offer a simplistic look that harkens back to the game’s infancy, and the barnstorming teams early in the 20th century who used to wow crowds taking in the new sport.
The uniforms also pay tribute to New York’s five boroughs, and it’s rich basketball culture for the 64th annual NBA All-Star Game on Feb. 15.
The jerseys offer up a side panel of five stars for each of New York’s five boroughs with a unique pattern representing them all. Per the release:
Queens: a pattern inspired by the stainless steel orbit rings of the borough’s iconic Unisphere that was built for the 1964 World’s Fair at Flushing Meadows – Corona Park
Staten Island: a wave pattern to signify its surrounding waters
Manhattan: a taxi-cab checkered pattern represents the pace and energy of the world’s most cosmopolitan city
The Bronx: a vinyl record pattern to pay homage to the birthplace of hip-hop and the rich musical legacy of New York City
Brooklyn: a brick pattern inspired by the iconic brownstone houses and buildings that make up the neighborhoods of the city’s most populous borough
Eastern Conference uniforms come with black name lettering and blue numbers while the Western Conference squad bears white name lettering and red numbers. Herringbone detail on the East and West patch and jock tags commemorates Barclays Center court, and the Knicks font is used for the player name and number, giving each New York City team a tip of the hat in the design.
For the first time in the history of the NBA All-Star Game, player first and last names will adorn the back of the jersey.
Black, gray and white fitted warm-ups include satin accents and military star patches to celebrate the number of all-Star game appearances of each player. Each player’s jacket will be customized with the game’s top individual accolades: Most Valuable Player, Rookie of the Year, NBA All-Star Game MVP and NBA Championships. On-court warm-ups also come with a three-quarter sleeve (the only sleeves!) shooting shirt and tapered pants.
Complaining about these uniforms and warm-ups is liable to get you membership to the poor taste all-star team because these are what uniforms are supposed to look like.
“The NBA All-Star Game is a celebration of the host city and basketball culture, and this year we created our most detailed and sophisticated uniforms to date that pay homage to New York and All-Star weekend,” Chris Grancio, the adidas global basketball general manager, said in the release. “We took inspiration from all five boroughs, in addition to the rich basketball and cultural heritage of the city, to provide a memorable collection for players and fans.”
NBA All-Star jerseys ($80 – $110) will be available on NBAStore.com and NBA Store on Fifth Avenue in January in addition to a full range of NBA All-Star apparel from adidas including adult and youth t-shirts ($22 – $30), track jackets ($80 – $250) and headwear ($16 – $26).
Select NBA All-Star merchandise will also be available internationally on NBAStore.eu, NBAStore.cn, NBA.JD.com and LojaNBA.com.
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