"Dope" concept, but some disappointed by Nike's new NBA "City" jerseys
Nike released a special set of jerseys meant to pay homage to each NBA team Wednesday, drawing positive reviews and criticism on social media. The "City Edition" jerseys, the fourth collection of threads in the first year partnership between Nike and the NBA, were unveiled with the purpose of "celebrating elements of the league's 30 franchises," according to the sports apparel company.
The jerseys will be worn at select games for the remainder of the 2017-2018 season. Nike explains on its website the reasoning behind the color scheme, font and emblem choices.
"These designs honor the fans -- those who, 41 times a year, take pilgrimage at their local arena, and whose passions help define each respective team's identity," Nike said.
Some of the jerseys represent cultures of teams' respective cities. For instance, the Golden State Warriors honor Chinese culture in the San Francisco Bay Area. The Chinese characters for prosperity are placed on the belt buckle while the chest logo combines the Golden Gate Bridge and classic Chinese symbolism.
Others like the Detroit Pistons and Memphis Grizzlies highlight moments of their cities' past.
Los Angeles Lakers paid tribute to retired basketball superstar Kobe Bryant with a jersey designed with a simple snakeskin pattern, an ode to the former player's "Black Mamba" moniker.
"It doesn't stand just for me," Bryant told ESPN. "It stands for an attitude that should be inside of you when you put the Laker jersey on. You should play with a killer approach."
Excluded from Nike's Wednesday release were the New York Knicks, Toronto Raptors, Miami Heat and Houston Rockets. The remaining teams will show off their uniforms at a later date.
From the professionals to the fans, everyone had an opinion about the fresh knitwear. CBS Sports handed out grades for all 26 jerseys. Twitter users also made their voices heard about the new Nike looks.
"These Nike NBA jerseys are a real let down," said @faythe4real. "Their concepts are dope, but shouldve been executed more tastefully."
"I think the Nike NBA 'City' jerseys are a really cool concept and a tremendous opportunity. Not sure they hit the mark for the most part, but still some really fun ones out there," @ThatDamnYank wrote.
Judge the jerseys for yourself on Nike's website, where photos of 26 jerseys could be found.