featured-image

Behind the Design: LA Clippers City Edition Jersey

On March 6, the LA Clippers unveiled the newest iteration of an NBA classic.

Take a look behind the scenes at the creation of the Clippers’ Nike City Edition jersey, which pays homage to the team’s San Diego roots through its iconic color scheme and tribute to the state of California.

The Beginning

Birthed as the Buffalo Braves in 1970, the team made its way from Buffalo, New York to San Diego, California in 1978 and officially became the San Diego Clippers. The team’s new moniker was a result of San Diego’s rich sailing history. The Clippers City Edition jerseys were designed in celebration of the 40th season since the team moved to Southern California.

The Beginning

The Inspiration

The Mission

Nike uniform designer Amber Miller grew up under the influence of her father’s Clippers fandom. The light blue uniforms stand out as part of her childhood memories. Her goal became to spark that same nostalgic feeling in today’s Clippers fans, while providing a stylish, versatile, comfortable product. Said Miller, “I want fans to think that it’s a fun take on the team’s history, keeping the fun bright colors that they had in the past, but being a super wearable jersey that you could wear out around the beach.”

The Inspiration

The Colors

The Braves’ original jerseys mixed elements of blue, orange, and white, before the team adopted the color scheme entirely upon landing in San Diego. The sky blue and orange color palette was influenced by Southern California’s casual beach culture, of which both San Diego and Los Angeles are famous for, then and now.

The Colors

The Uniforms

The uniform represents a fresh mix of old and new. The large, bold logo across the chest has emblazoned the Clippers’ uniforms for the past two seasons, while the jersey’s outlines and color scheme is a thing of the past, including the retro scoop neck. The left side of the shorts includes three vertical nautical flags, a tribute to San Diego’s sailing culture. On the opposite side is a jagged design, carved out in white, resembling sails on a clipper ship, part of the San Diego Clippers’ original logo.

The Uniforms

The Mission

Nike created the City Edition uniforms for all 30 NBA teams as a tribute to NBA fans across the nation and across the globe. Each uniform celebrates unique elements of each team’s city and team history. The jerseys are meant to honor the fans that support each franchise on a nightly basis, in years past and for years to come.

The Mission