Nike and the NBA announced a brand new jersey scheme for its teams this fall, with some major changes coming to the way teams decide what uniforms they wear on a given night. Each team will have at least four uniforms to choose from, with two new designs set to premiere later this summer.
But one NBA fan and graphic designer has some excellent options for fans to look at before their favorite team figures it out on their own. Brian Begley is a New Jersey artist who has created jersey concepts for all 30 NBA teams, and the concepts are pretty sweet.
The Lakers powder blue option (seen above) is a great example of a potential new design, while the refreshed “futuristic” look is a good direction the league can go without appearing to be too Turn Ahead the Clock about it.
You can see all the designs on Begley’s Instagram page, but here are a few others that stand out.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BVqexQRjsa4/
I especially like the little elements he uses, including the minor tweaks on the Chicago Bulls concepts. The four stars that mimic the city’s flag is especially cool on the middle concept.
All of the Thunder jerseys here are a departure from their current set, but that’s OK because 1) sleeved jerseys are abominable and 2) this uses the color palate of the Thunder but makes them appear less cartoonish and dated. Good typefaces all around, Brian. Great job.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BVc6kjxDwom/
This is a great way to get the rainbow Nuggets threads back into the rotation and, again, the last option is futuristic without going too far into the absurd. He’s got a real sense of balance in the selection on a lot of these teams, even the ones that require a bit of restraint like the Celtics and today’s already-excellent Golden State Warriors uniforms.
The middle jersey is a subtle redesign of an already-great crest, but it works. Then you have the black uniform for when the team is feeling its role as NBA villain, and the fifth option is a new-old throwback to when they were all about Ayn Rand.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BWqq1KFDa83/
These Houston Rockets concepts bring back another throwback look but also embrace the “Clutch City” moniker in a new and fun way. This very much looks like the James Harden Rockets while paying tribute to the past.
The Heat should absolutely steal these concepts, too. I love the Vice City look on the left, and the Miami Vice-style black Heat jersey on the right is super slick. That’s absolutely something the Heat should embrace at least once.
I’m a big fan of all of these, so go scroll through them all and hope your favorite team is on the same track with their actual uniform designs. Otherwise, you’ll be pining for these when fall hits.
