Ranking NBA City Edition jerseys from the awful to the elite
By Tim Burke
Ranking NBA city edition jerseys: 20-11
20. Charlotte Hornets – 9 points
You have to applaud the attempt from Charlotte here. At first glance this thing really catches your eye. The problem is, as you hold your gaze longer you start to notice how busy this jersey is. The honeycomb top is a nifty idea but when paired with pinstripes you start to get sensory overload (don’t even look at their shorts). This does grade out decently though because it catches your attention quick and doesn’t want to let go.
Pop (6) Difference (2) Colors (1)
19. Minnesota Timberwolves – 9 points
Very reminiscent of the KG days in Minnesota and a throwback jersey from that time always catches the eye (if only he was able to buy the team). The stripes on the side are interesting but the more I look at this jersey, the harder it is to tell if I like the side panel or not. I’d bet good money this team comes out with all new uniform sets in three years.
Pop (6) Difference (2) Colors (1)
18. Detroit Pistons – 9 points
These are really nice NBA city edition jerseys and something I wish Detroit would move to full time. The Pistons are another team I feel really badly needs to redo their entire uniform and start fresh. The thinned out letters on the front are very good and add to the presentation value. In the end though, these are just a good jersey that makes you realize how bad the teams regular ones are.
Pop (6) Difference (1.5) Colors (1.5)
17. Milwaukee Bucks – 9 points
This is a big step up from last years look. Nike did a good job mixing elements of old and new to create a modern look that still had a classic feel. The side paneling comes from their jerseys of the 70s and 80s while using the colorway of the 2000s era. Solid and clean for Milwaukee.
Pop (6) Difference (1) Colors (2)
16. Cleveland Cavaliers – 9 points
The Cavs try out a new and refreshed look every five years or so, giving Nike plenty of options to sort through when making this jersey. I like that the original cavalier logo was incorporated here. This is one of my favorite designs but doesn’t quite do enough to get over the hump.
Pop (6) Difference (2) Colors (1)
15. Oklahoma City Thunder – 9.5 points
I like the offset vertical lettering OKC has here and they’ve used it a few times in the past. The other itterations were all incorporated color in some way. This years all white look has my attention but I wish there was a splash of color in there somewhere.
Pop (6) Difference (2.5) Colors (1)
14. Brooklyn Nets – 9.5 points
This jersey is almost a straight throwback to the days of my youth. The biggest difference is the main color, those late 90s jerseys were more of a royal blue where Nike went with a navy blue this time. Mixing the navy with the 90s style does create a nice mix of the jerseys from around the turn of the millennium. To me, Nike was aiming for mid-30s dad to buy this thing and wear it to games with their kids.
Pop (4.5) Difference (3) Colors (2)
13. Los Angeles Lakers – 9.5 points
Kind of a throwback to the Minneapolis Lakers look the late 50s with the stars on the front. I like that they went with purple as I feel this is an underused color. The font on the front is a piece I really like as it goes back to the Showtime days and the current font is just a little too bland for me. This is an above average jersey, it just leaves me wanting a little bit more.
Pop (6) Difference (2) Colors (1.5)
12. New York Knicks – 9.5 points
This one is not too different from the main sets but just like Boston, the Knicks don’t switch up their look very much (minus the black side panels of the 2000s). New York went with the black jerseys which not many other teams tried. The orange trim looks very clean and adds to the pop factor on this one.
Pop (6) Difference (2) Colors (1.5)
11. Philadelphia 76ers – 10 points
The Sixers have some really cool options for throwbacks and I’m a little disappointed that Nike didn’t go that route. The font choice from Philly has always been a tad bland so I do appreciate the attempt at changing it up here. Like with the Twolves, I can’t decide if I like the side panel or not.
Pop (5) Difference (3) Colors (2)