Nike City Edition Uniforms

Wheat Hotchkiss

Indianapolis has a rich tradition of high-speed sports competition, whether it's on the basketball hardwood at Bankers Life Fieldhouse or the asphalt track at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

On Thursday, the Pacers paid tribute to the city's legacy of auto racing as well as the team's modern identity, unveiling their new Nike City Edition uniform for the 2019-20 season.

PHOTO GALLERY: See the Pacers' New City Edition Uniforms »

The new uniforms are a refreshed take on the City Edition uniforms the team wore during the 2017-18 season. While the uniforms two years ago were primarily blue, this year's uniforms are primarily white, with a number of additional tweaks to the design.

The jersey number remains encircled on the front of the jersey in the style of a classic IndyCar nosecone. But while the jersey number two years ago was gold with no trim, this year's jersey features a blue number with gold trim.

The most noticeably different element on this year's uniform is found on the vertical checkered racing stripe that lines the left side of both the jersey and shorts. Nike says that "the checkered stripe symbolizes not only the city’s deep ties to auto racing but the Pacers' tireless pursuit of victory."

Two years ago, the checkered pattern contained two different shades of gold. On this year's uniform, the checkered pattern instead consists of two shades of blue: a darker traditional shade similar to the primary color the team has worn for the better part of two decades, as well as lighter shade closer to royal blue, reminiscent of the color seen in Indiana's uniforms in the 1980s.

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"PACERS" is spelled out vertically down the checkered stripe on the jersey in white lettering with gold trim. The phrase "ALWAYS LEAD" appears in gold lettering on the checkered stripe just above the jersey tag, another homage to the city's racing tradition.

The Pacers will wear their new City Edition uniforms for 15 games during the 2019-20 regular season. The uniforms will make their debut on Wednesday, Nov. 27, when Indiana hosts the Utah Jazz at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

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New City Edition Uniforms Offer Refreshed Take on Rich Racing Tradition

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Train your eyes on the brand new City Edition Pacers uniform and the elements of design inspired by a state built on speed race to the forefront.

From the all-caps PACERS emblazoned on the front in italics — as if the letters themselves are in motion — to the ALWAYS LEAD text tucked into the left hip of the uniform, speed is dominant in the design.

"It kind of represents Indiana as a whole," said Oladipo after trying on the jersey for the first time. "We're a very subtle state, but when it's time to get on and poppin', it's time to get poppin'."

Subtlety wasn't exactly the name of the game for Florence Griffith Joyner, the sprinter behind Indiana's famed Flo-Jo uniforms. Her sense of style — which was recently nodded to with Beyonce's halloween costume — set her apart from the other sprinters of her era.

Those unique aspects of fashion made their way into the Flo-Jo uniforms, which the Pacers wore from 1990-1997. In this year's City Edition uniforms, some of those elements permeate the design, such as diagonal stripes that break from the uniform's otherwise solid color. While the original Flo-Jo unis had two versions — one with white as the predominant color and the other blue — the City Edition comes in gray with gold lines breaking apart a blue siding.

"I think fans will like them because they're different," he said. "I think they'll like the colorway too. The gray with the blue lining on the side."

The City Edition uniforms also feature a nod to the Pacers' #WeGrowBasketballHere ethos, as the ray lines that can been seen on Indiana's gold Statement uniforms make an appearance on both the shorts and siding of the uniform.

The ray lines break through the text "ALWAYS LEAD", which will be tucked into the shorts during play. The blending of ALWAYS LEAD and We Grow Basketball Here can be seen as Indiana's commitment to leading the way for future basketball players. As basketball becomes an increasingly global passion, Indiana will Always Lead at growing talent from all corners of the state.

"Always lead. Lead by example. You lead by what you say, by the things you do, by the way you represent yourself, your team, and your city," Oladipo said.

The uniforms, which will be worn by the Pacers at the dates listed below, will be available for purchase in the Pacers Team Store starting November 9.  An expanded City Edition apparel line will include t-shirts, hats, basketballs, and more.

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City Edition Uniforms Tell a Story of Speed

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See The Pacers' City Edition Uniforms Up Close

Since the start of the 2017-18 season, the Pacers have clocked in as one of the NBA's fastest tempo teams, playing with a pace not seen in Indiana since perhaps the ABA days.

In the unveiling of their City Edition uniforms, that speed and tempo comes to the forefront, displaying the elements of racing that were intended when the team was first named the Pacers in 1967.

The general manager at the time, Mike Storen, said that the name was chosen because, "We feel we will set the pace in the ABA, we will be playing at the Fairgrounds Coliseum across the street from where the (harness racing) pacers race at the fair, and the pace in auto racing is set in Indianapolis each May."

From top to bottom, the uniforms embody a racing spirit, with a motion-based design that keeps the eye dashing.

A vertical checkered racing stripe adorns the left side of the jersey, with the Pacers name tracking downwards. Rested next to the stripe is the jersey number, encircled in the style of a number on a classic IndyCar nosecone.

The belt buckle of the shorts is a dark-patterned checkered flag, matching up with the checkers that fill the racing stripe.

When the stripe of the jersey meets the stipe on the shorts, "Always Lead" is printed directly above the jersey tag, which will often be tucked into the shorts during games.

To "Always Lead" isn't simply a reference to racing; it also connects to the Pacers' goal of leading in their community, on the court, and in their personal lives.

One side of the shorts sports the Pacers' primary logo, while the other side features a tucked away Indiana state icon logo.

With the hyperlocal design from Nike, the Pacers' City Edition uniform creates a timeless bridge between the moment the team's name was chosen, to this season's team, which races from baseline-to-baseline with the spirit of a team that is fighting to always lead.

Home Games
February 3 vs. Philadelphia 76ers Find Tickets »
February 23 vs. Atlanta Hawks Find Tickets »
March 15 vs. Toronto Raptors Find Tickets »
April 5 vs. Golden State Warriors Find Tickets »

Road Games
March 2 at Milwaukee Bucks
March 4 at Washington Wizards
April 3 at Denver Nuggets

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