Last year, Nike celebrated their first year as the NBA's official outfitter by releasing four different NBA jersey designs (aka "Editions") for each team. The most talked-about of the variants were the City Editions, which drew inspiration from each team's hometown—hence Miami's Vice-style unis (loved) and the Spurs head-to-toe camouflage looks (hated). This season brings a new round of City Editions, some totally redesigned, others slightly reworked. We've picked our five favorites and explained the local influences that shaped their design.
The Nets pay homage to Brooklyn boy the Notorious B.I.G., aka Christopher Wallace. Biggie is repped by the graffiti-style “Bed-Stuy†emblazoned over the label and the shirt’s vibrant trim, which mimics the pattern of his famous Coogi sweaters. After all, he stayed "Coogi down to the socks."
Last year’s Golden State City Editions honored the city’s connection to China and the 2018 versions are no different. The circular logo in the center is a reimagination of a traditional Chinese coin and the Mandarin characters spell out “Warriors.†The geometric pattern down the side of the unis is another ode to the Chinese coin, and the “GSW†over the label is styled to look like Chinese lettering, but isn’t.
The legacy of Minnesota native Prince Rogers Nelson (who would have turned 60 this year) is woven into every fiber of the Timberwolves uni, from the font that evokes Purple Rain album cover, a hidden paisley graphic on the shorts, and a the metallic shoulder patch that’s a nod to Prince’s famous blazer.
The iconic rainbow skyline design of the early 1980s was retired 25 years ago, but it’s still so revered by Denver fans that the 2018 City Editions sold out at the Nuggets’ arena store within a day. The rainbow design is slightly updated, with the stripes mimicking elevation lines seen on topographic maps. The “5280†embroidered over the label references the height above sea level at which the city of Denver rests.
Philly’s patriotism has been a consistent theme in the 76ers’ City Editions, and this year is no exception. The off-white stars are the color of the parchment the Declaration of Independence was written on, as well as the thirteen original colonies. There’s also the segmented snake from the infamous “Join or Die†political cartoon hidden on the shorts. The simplistic design is unique in that there is no city or team name anywhere on the jersey, and the heather grey color scheme? An ode to Rocky.
A major step up from 2017’s City Edition—which was just the traditional Rockets uni with Chinese lettering on the front—this year’s take is more steeped in Chinese imagery, honoring the city’s connection to a fanbase that has persisted since the days of Yao Ming. The deep red is a nod to traditional Chinese formalwear and the subtle swirling cloud pattern references Chinese imagery without beating you over the head with it. The gold trim is meant to bring good fortune (there’s even a small gold coin over the label) and the Chinese lettering spells out “Rockets.â€
