NEW YORK - Jan. 22, 2009 - The National Basketball Association and adidas today unveiled the most innovative basketball uniform ever, which will debut at the 2009 NBA All-Star Game in Phoenix.
The NBA All-Star uniform features a number of technological enhancements and was in development for over two years by adidas. The uniform is 30 percent lighter than a traditional basketball uniform and features adidas' Formotion technology which reduces seams, decreases friction and optimizes the player’s natural movement. The jersey has strategically placed ClimaCool zones which conduct heat away from the body through a combination of ventilation channels, three-dimensional fabrics, and materials that disperse heat and moisture.
The uniform was designed to work hand-in-hand with adidas TECHFIT PowerWeb and Padded compression for optimal performance on the court. TECHFIT PowerWeb combines compression fabrics and a web of strategically placed Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) powerbands to boost power to key muscle groups, generating up to a four percent increase in vertical leap. TECHFIT Padded protects athletes with flexibility and impact resistance.
The uniform design was inspired by the aesthetics and history of the city of Phoenix with colors representing the earth, desert, sun and sky. The design elements will be integrated throughout the entire adidas NBA All-Star on-court and fan apparel collections. The jerseys feature various shades of horizontal lines that resemble Arizona’s iconic rock formations.
The flame design on the shorts represents the story of the mythical bird, the Phoenix, for which the city is named. Holding with recent tradition, the All-Stars from the host team’s conference will wear white uniforms. The West All-Star uniforms will be white, gold and desert red, a color scheme inspired by the colors of the 2009 NBA All-Star logo and the uniforms of the host team Phoenix Suns. The East All-Star uniforms will be navy, silver and sunset blue.
“The 2009 All-Star uniform embraces the tradition of NBA All-Star, captures the spirit of the city of Phoenix, and respects the honor bestowed upon the players who are selected to the All-Star team,” said Vice President of NBA Global Merchandising Group Christopher Arena. “adidas understands our players and what it takes to be an All-Star, which is why they’ve put the best of their innovative performance technologies and their world-class design team into the development of this uniform.”
“The 2009 NBA All-Star uniform will be the first-ever fully integrated uniform system in the NBA, and represents adidas’ dedication to innovation to help athletes improve their performance,” said adidas Vice President of Global Basketball Lawrence Norman. “With the long list of featured technologies and subsequent benefits, athletes will have the opportunity to be quicker and jump higher.”
The NBA All-Star uniform and adidas NBA All-Star apparel is available at the NBA Store inside NBA All-Star Jam Session presented by adidas, online at NBAStore.com, at the NBA Store in New York City, and at adidas retailers globally.
About NBA All-Star 2009
NBA All-Star 2009 in Phoenix will bring together some of the most talented and passionate players in the league’s history for a global celebration of the game. Among the many events that will reach fans in more than 200 countries in more than 40 languages are the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam, Sprite Slam Dunk Contest, Foot Locker Three-Point Shootout, PlayStation Skills Challenge, Haier Shooting Stars, McDonald's NBA All-Star Celebrity Game, NBA All-Star Jam Session presented by adidas, and the 58th NBA All-Star Game, played on Sunday, Feb. 15 at the US Airways Center and broadcast on TNT for the 24th year. This will be the third NBA All-Star in Phoenix. The city also hosted the event in 1975 and 1995.
About adidas
adidas has been providing innovative products for the world’s best athletes for more than 50 years, from past legends to today’s superstars, such as Kevin Garnett, Dwight Howard, Candace Parker, Derrick Rose, Tim Duncan and Tracy McGrady. On April 11, 2006, adidas and the National Basketball Association signed an 11-year global merchandising partnership making the adidas brand the official uniform and apparel provider for the NBA, the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) and the NBA D-League beginning with the 2006-07 NBA season.