BROOKLYN – Designed to honor the life and lasting legacy of the visionary from Kings County, the 2020-21 Brooklyn Nets City Edition Uniform is unmistakably inspired by Brooklyn-born artist, Jean-Michel Basquiat.
Brooklyn has long been a creative hotbed where art, fashion, literature, social activism and sports intersect. With this uniform, the Brooklyn Nets honor a revered Brooklynite who blended text and image throughout his iconic works, and in so doing illuminated important themes and issues that continue to resonate today. The uniform mixes authentic details and some of the most notable elements of Basquiat’s artwork, including:
- The BKLYN Nets lettering across the chest of the jersey is inspired by Basquiat’s signature style.
- The crown on the shorts is evocative of the world-renowned crown found in much of his artwork, and further references the Nets’ home in Kings County.
- The multicolored stripe down the side of the uniform reflects a style that is prevalent in much of Basquiat’s work.
- Placed above the jersey’s jock tag is Basquiat’s iconic signature - his full name, written in capital letters.
"We are proud to celebrate Basquiat’s enduring legacy this season,” said John Abbamondi, CEO of BSE Global. "Basquiat embodies much of what Brooklyn represents, and his creative spirit and passionate voice can still be felt throughout the borough. Today, more than ever, Basquiat matters."
Born in 1960, Basquiat was a revolutionary artist and painter whose upbringing and diverse cultural background set the stage for much of his artwork. He painted in a way that recognized and popularized black heritage in art, using his artwork as a creative outlet to explore himself and provide social commentary on the world around him - mostly on societal inequalities like wealth and poverty, integration and segregation, and systemic racism. He was a generational talent whose true impact would not be felt until after his passing in 1988, and his work remains a fixture in the art world today.
For more information on the City Edition retail line, which is available for purchase now, please visit www.brooklynnets.com/cityedition.