The 2022-23 Nike NBA City Edition uniforms.
In west Detroit, a red-brick building disguised as a chapel harbors a basketball court where Detroit basketball legends earn their stripes.
“You had Jalen [Rose], you had Earl [Cureton], you had Zeke [Isiah Thomas] — you had all the Detroit All-Stars playing here. This was that spot,” said Big Sean [rapper whose songs are often inspired by his childhood in Detroit] in the team’s City Edition Uniform promo video.
The gym is better known as Saint Cecelia’s or “The Saint,” and it served as the inspiration of the Pistons’ 2022-23 Nike City Edition uniform. Designed in collaboration with Big Sean, the Pistons’ jersey is colored green matching the gym’s historic logo and the shorts are adorned with a replica of “The Saint’s” stained-glass window. The uniform even features the same quote inscribed on the court of the gym on the anthem — “where stars are made, not born.”
The details on the Piston’s 2022-23 City Edition uniforms.
The 2022-23 City Edition Uniforms launched on Nov. 10th, and what makes this collection special is the detailed storytelling unique to each franchise that comes to life in the designs.
“The storytelling was on point this year. Our goal was to find what teams resonate with locally, but globally they also resonate given the depth of each story and compelling nature of the designs,” said Nadia Roohparvar, Team Brand and Uniform Product Lead at the NBA.
In order to provide uniforms that are unique to every NBA franchise, the design team at Nike worked closely with each team — a process that started back in July 2020. The collaboration aimed to hone in on the bond between court, community and culture.
“We take our time in working with the teams to be able to really go deep on the inspiration and components of each story, “ said Jesse Alvarez, Global Product Director of Sports Apparel for Men’s Basketball at Nike. “Each organization knows their fan bases best. They listen to their fans, and at the end of the day we’re trying to give their fans what they want through the lens of the team’s stories.”
With the launch of City Edition six years ago, the NBA became unique in having uniforms that depart from the core brand. Each year, these uniforms allow the league and its fans to celebrate and engage with what makes their franchises so special.
Portland’s 2022-23 City Edition uniform inspired by the iconic carpet at PDX Airport.
“Take the Hawks for example — you have your core white, red and black. But once a year you get a peach-inspired uniform, because you’re the ‘Peach State’ and there’s Peachtree Street,” Roohparvar said. “A uniform like this is playful and beloved by fans for its meaning.”
The Grizzlies’ 2022-23 City Edition uniform is inspired by Memphis’ hip-hop.
Some other notables include Chicago’s uniform, in which the city’s Municipal “Y” symbol is interwoven through the printed pattern of the jersey and intersects with the “C” of Chicago on the belt buckle. The Municipal “Y” is a symbol of unity for the city, and represents the three branches of the Chicago River that come together at Wolf Point in the heart of the city.
The Grizzlies’ design was inspired by local hip-hop album art highlighted by its chrome-inspired detailing and diamond textures. Above the jersey tag, a “Grizz grill’, along with “For The M ” is inscribed for the pride Memphians have for their city, culture and music.
“Every organization is on a different journey. Looking at the Knicks’ uniform — it has an NYC swoosh that just the Knicks can own because of their partnership with Kith. Or for the Celtics to celebrate the story of Bill Russell and their 17 NBA titles — only their team can tell that story,” Alvarez said.
The designers hope these uniforms not only resonate with fans today, but also the next generation of fans to come.
“These uniforms stand for things that are important to each city. We hope that the next generation can be inspired by the creativity in them, and also use them as a vehicle to educate on each team on each city,” Roohparvar said.
