Ready or not, here they come. The NBA Board of Governors had discussions that were described as “mostly positive” about allowing sponsorship on game jerseys for the 2013-2014 season.
No vote took place, so nothing is official or final, but as Scott Howard-Cooper posted on the NBA blog, the Governors “showed a strong preference to move forward.”
While we had a little bit of fun with the photoshop above, the terms seem to dictate a patch of 2 ½ inches-by-2 ½ on the chest, similar to the placement of the NBA Finals patch seen above on LeBron, and the Starbucks logo mocked up on Durant.
Even though this is a small patch with tasteful placement, it is in fact a big deal, as its the first of the “Big Four” in the US to potentially allow ads on their game jerseys. The MLB experimented with ads while playing in Japan, but have remained unsullied here in the states.
What do you think? Is this a slippery slope to having the Seattle Starbucks playing the Atlanta Home Depots? Or is this just opening up advertising spots currently reserved for the likes of Nike, Adidas, Majestic, et al?
Related stories:
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Utah Jazz Already Considering New Uniforms 
It’s official: The NBA will put ads on their jerseys starting in 2017-18 
MLSE is already naming their price for ads on Raptors jerseys 
Two D-League Teams Introduce Ad Laden Jerseys, Courts 
Detroit Pistons Unveil Motor City Alternate Uniform 
Top o’the Logo to You
