The Atlanta Hawks appropriately announced on Monday, MLK Day, that they’ll revive their 2020-21 City Edition uniforms, which honored civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr., during the 2026-27 season.
The black uniforms – which were designed in collaboration with Dr. King’s estate – prominently displayed a white “MLK” wordmark outlined in gold above matching numbers, marking the first time in NBA history that an individual’s initials were featured on the chest of a uniform.
“It is our hope that this visual reminder of Dr. King’s legacy will inspire people to further educate themselves on how he effected change using his philosophy and methods of nonviolence during the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s,” the manager of Dr. King’s estate, Eric D. Tidwell, said when the uniforms were revealed.
The black, gold and white trim, meanwhile, were a nod to the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, the first Greek-letter organization established for African-American men of which Dr. King became a member in 1952, when he was a graduate student at Boston University.
The design on the sides of the shorts contained a crown and shield symbol that was inspired by the stained glass windows at Dr. King’s home church, Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, as well as stars that represented 22 of the 29 times that he was jailed while fighting for justices and equality.
The uniform was complete with Dr. King’s signature above the jock tag, as well as a black and gold version of the Hawks’ logo on the waistband. This logo could also be seen at midcourt of their corresponding court design, though it featured a five-color stained glass pattern throughout.
The mosaic pattern incorporated the Hawks’ City Edition colorway of black, gold and white with Atlanta’s primary uniform colors of red and yellow, while the aforementioned “MLK” wordmark and 22 “Freedom Stars” appeared along the bottom baseline.
After several NBA players visited the Vatican to discuss social justice initiatives, the Hawks sent a jersey to the late Pope Francis, who gave his blessing and signed the jersey. Atlanta then went 9-1 in the uniforms, including a victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on MLK Day.
“(Dr. King’s) message of equality, nonviolence and justice is as relevant today as it was in the ‘60s and we are proud to not only help education legions of young fans about (his) work, but empower them to pick up his mantle and embody the change they wish to see in their communities,” Hawks chief marketing officer Melissa Proctor said in 2020.
Photos courtesy of @ATLHawks on X/Twitter.
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