NBA fans got a little treat early on for the eagerly awaited 2024-25 season. Before you lose it, let me tell you what it is. The latest batch of City Edition jerseys, which usually drops in November, seems to have somehow leaked. And the excitement at the news deflated like a balloon with just one look at them. Suffice it to say, that Adam Silver would be better off social media for at least a few days.
Last year, the teams wore these City Edition jerseys during the inaugural in-season tournament to easily differentiate between IST and regular season games. But it was more than that. In a statement released by the NBA back then, these jerseys “represent the stories, history and heritage that make each franchise unique—honoring the inherent bond between court, community, and culture.”
But looking at the outrage of the fans, it hardly seems like that’s the case here. Even if the league intended that, it, unfortunately, did not translate to the jersey. Take, for example, this fan.
“These are just … terrible. I’m starting to believe Nike doesn’t even bother looking at the designs – “F it, let’s just go with it”,” followed by a grinning-squinting emoji, clearly reflecting the user’s amusement at Nike’s outlandish work.
As you might have already seen, the City Edition jerseys do have a completely new look. But then again, that was the idea. The jerseys unveiled each season will have fresh, new, designs to keep them relevant. And given that they are pretty much a limited edition kind of merch, they often double as collectibles, as well.
While we do know that the changing designs include popular phrases, iconic landmarks, cultural symbols, color schemes, and more that incorporate elements significant to the identity of a place, it seems that even those haven’t helped Silver here.
“Adam Silver has ruined my league,”: City Edition jersey leak turns into a full-blown riot on X
How else would you describe the ongoing fury of the passionate NBA fans out there? It seems like they have just had enough of Nike and their designs so much so that they are demanding Silver to cut ties with the sports apparel giant. We’ll get to that in a minute. However, there are a few who are calling the 5th NBA Commissioner out for the way he’s running the league.
“Look how far we’ve fallen. Adam Silver has ruined my league. This isn’t a Nike. Adam Silver has ruined the pageantry and brand familiarity of the sport with these new designs every season,” said one individual.
On the other hand, a Warriors fan, who looks to have quite the business skills, promotes Steph Curry’s brand. “Underarmour would have made better designs.” Impressive! I mean, kudos for taking advantage of the opportunity. However, a group of fans fail to see the humor in this situation.
They are very serious about their stance. “Nike is bad. Sports leagues should stop working with them,” stated one fan. A tough call, given Nike signed an eight-year contract worth $1 billion in 2017-18. Perhaps the NBA might consider the request closer to the expiry of the same. Or not.
And finally, this last one seems to be a seriously grieving fan. “These uncreative mfs at Nike coming up with these mostly fugly city jerseys year after year when any random amateur graphic designer with a love for the NBA can come up with something better.”
Clearly, they aren’t kidding around. On the positive side, this City Edition jersey leak might just be a blessing in disguise. Taking into account the vast majority of unhappy fans, maybe they could make a few changes. Hopefully, after they get some necessary input from the said fans.
What do you say? Think that’s a good idea? Let us know in the comments.
