Although they leaked more than a week ago, the NBA officially revealed its full lineup of City Edition uniforms for the 2023-24 season on Thursday morning. This marks the seventh set of City Edition uniforms, which debuted during the 2017-18 season and are supposed to connect the teams to their communities.
The uniforms take on extra meaning this year as they’ll debut during the NBA’s inaugural In-Season Tournament, which begins on Friday evening, paired with a special court design featuring elements from the City Edition uniforms, the NBA Cup and a team-specific paint job.
The City Edition uniforms will also be worn for select matchups outside of the tournament, with several teams unveiling an additional alternate court for these games.
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With that said, let’s take an in-depth look at this season’s designs below, including the inspiration behind each uniform and photos of the more subtle details.
Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks City Edition uniform was inspired by the city of Atlanta’s “spirit and determination,” and “a tribute to the city’s history of lifting up individuals.”
The colours are listed as “Heritage Blue,” “Buttery Brown,” and “Infinity Black.” The Hawks say the blue is a nod to the first Atlanta Hawks uniform, worn during the franchise’s first season in Atlanta back in 1968. The Brown “embodies the team’s smooth style on the court and echoes the richness and diversity in Atlanta,” while black (get ready for this one) “is an affirmation of the team’s bold and relentless pursuit of a championship.”
The lowercase “atl” across the front “conveys ascension, familiarity, and the organization’s signature Southern hospitality.”
“We are excited to unveil these Fly city edition uniforms which share our passion for the city of Atlanta and the hustle, grind, hard work and collective growth we see from the people of this city on a daily basis,” said Hawks Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Melissa Proctor in the team’s press release. “When one person shines, they ignite that fire in others, and we believe that together, we can lift each other up and inspire a legacy that transcends the game and reverberates throughout our city.”
Boston Celtics
The Celtics’ City Edition uniforms are a nod to Dr. James Naismith, who invented basketball in Springfield, Massachusetts, in 1891. They feature an arched “Boston” wordmark in green with a gold drop shadow, as well as side panels with a wood floor texture.
Brooklyn Nets
The Nets partnered with local artist Brian Donnelly, known professionally as KAWS, to create their City Edition uniforms, which were actually unveiled in April. They blend his abstract painting style with a black, white, gray, teal, blue and red colour palette.
“The history, community, and passion of this borough create an energy that inspires my studio practice, the players, and the fans,” said KAWS. “My design aims to capture the vibrancy that we experience daily when navigating Brooklyn.”
The Nets explain: “The colours and patterns found on the uniform are inspired by KAWS’ 10-part artwork, ‘TENSION,’ evocative of the artist’s signature eye-catching abstract paintings and bold colour palette. Mixed with the Nets signature core colours, black, white, and grey, this City Edition uniform represents the best of the Nets x KAWS.”
The Nets City Edition uniform will debut on November 4th and then be worn on November 30, December 2, January 29, and April 3.
Charlotte Hornets
The Charlotte Hornets City Edition uniform “merges the team’s iconic teal colour with mint and gold accents,” as we’ve seen in other City Edition sets from this team. As was the case with those uniforms, the colours were inspired by Charlotte having been home to the first US Branch Mint as well as the Carolina Gold Rush.
Chicago Bulls
The Bulls’ black City Edition uniforms feature a vertical “Chicago” wordmark in white, reminiscent of the marquee and font used on the facade of Chicago Stadium, their home from 1967-94, also known as “The Madhouse on Madison.”
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cavaliers unveiled their City Edition uniforms during a special event for season ticket holders last month. They feature “The Land” across the chest and patterns on the collar, armholes and shorts that are inspired by the carpet at Connor Palace, also known as The Palace Theatre.
“Inspired by our city’s rich history of performing arts from Playhouse Square, the largest Performing Arts Center in the United States outside of New York, to Severance Hall, home to the world-renowned Cleveland Orchestra. The uniform shines a spotlight on both iconic cultural institutions in Cleveland and celebrates these pillars in the Northeast Ohio community. From the ornate trim echoing the baroque ceilings of the theatres to the marquee-inspired numbers and wordmark, the uniforms take the team to the bright lights of the stage.”
The Cavs will wear the uniform six times, the first coming on November 17th vs Detroit.
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are honouring the Dallas/Fort Worth as the birthplace of American Blues music, calling the uniform their Trinity River Blues.
The Mavs wordmark across the front of the jersey is “a tribute to vintage Texas R&B album covers.” The left side of the jersey contains the embossed handwriting of Fort Worth native and Grammy Award winner Leon Bridges, and the right side features printed guitar strings.
Dallas will wear the new uniform 13 times in 2023-24, the debut coming on November 10 for their In-Season Tournament game against the Clippers.
Denver Nuggets
The defending NBA champions have celebrated Denver’s nickname of the “Mile High City” by painting the No. 5,280 inside the lanes of their court at Ball Arena since 2018. That number, which represents feet in a mile, now makes its way to the front of their City Edition uniforms.
“5280 is a badge of honour,” Nuggets Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, Declan J. Bolger, told Nuggets.com. “5280 is a competitive advantage for us, and this City Edition uniform is an opportunity to reinforce that competitive advantage… It’s our rallying cry.”
Denver will wear the uniforms eight times this season, starting with their In-Season Tournament game on November 3 vs Dallas.
Detroit Pistons
The Pistons’ City Edition uniforms are inspired by the “Detroit Bad Boys” shirts that exploded in popularity as they won back-to-back titles in 1988-89 and 1989-90. Those shirts prominently displayed a basketball behind a skull and crossbones, which can be seen on the side panels of the jerseys.
SHOP: All 30 NBA City Edition jerseys, shorts, shirts, and more available now!
Golden State Warriors
The side panels on the Warriors’ City Edition uniforms draw inspiration from cable car tracks seen throughout the city, while the curved “San Francisco” wordmark represents the steep hills they have to climb downtown, released as “a celebration of 150 years of the iconic San Francisco cable car and its distinctive gold bell—invoking the theme ‘The City Calls.'”
The numbers on the front of the jersey are inspired by the front of San Francisco’s oldest cable car still in operation.
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets City Edition set “will amplify Hometown Heroes through Hakeem ‘The Dream’ Olajuwon, Clyde ‘The Glide’ Drexler, and how their explosive, high-flying on-court performances carved out a place in basketball culture for the City of Houston.”
“I am deeply honoured to have my career here in Houston celebrated by the Rockets in this special way,” Olajuwon told the Rockets. “The new City jersey is a great representation of my college playing days.”
“It’s been 40 years since Hakeem and I played college basketball, and it’s an honour to know that this year’s Rockets team will wear a uniform that’s inspired by the impact that we made on the game,” said Drexler.
Across the chest is “H-Town,” but the highlight is the dunking astronaut on the side of the shorts — “a homage to the high-flying style of Phi Slama Jama and to City of Houston’s status as ‘Space City.'”
Indiana Pacers
The new Indiana Pacers City jersey is “a visual tribute to the diversity, vibrancy, and culture” of Indianapolis, with its inspiration taken from “Indy’s art scene, local talent, and the wide array of eclectic murals found throughout.”
“Indy is ready to show off its pop for the NBA and the world with a fierceness and a boldness worthy of the vibrant, diverse place we have created, and that’s the excitement that really comes through in this year’s Nike NBA 23-24 City Edition Uniforms,” said PS&E President & Chief Commercial Officer Todd Taylor in the press release. “What surprises many people when they first visit Indy is the richness of our culture and the quiet confidence of our people, but the days of sneaking up on people are long gone. Indy has arrived, and these jerseys tell that story.”
The Pacers will wear the new set for thirteen home games in 2023-24.
Los Angeles Clippers
At the time of this post, we were still waiting on a release from the Clippers explaining their jersey, but we got this from the NBA’s Twitter account: “The LA Clippers’ ’23-’24 City Edition was inspired by the love of basketball that permeates the city, culture, and organization, designed by Jonas Wood, renowned LA-based artist, basketball fan, and season ticket holder.”
Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers’ City Edition uniforms feature a triangle-shaped wordmark that was used by the franchise after it relocated from Minneapolis in the 1960s, though it’s rendered in their current colour scheme of purple, gold and black.
“We went with the all-black uniform because when we first got to LA, we didn’t know who we would be,” explained the Lakers website. “The only idea of what we could be was the picture we had in our heads when we closed our eyes. And we were extra thoughtful with the purple and black trim detail. The trim goes from purple to black to purple as a nod to the sky after a California sunset. It’s a part of the day after golden hour when you can’t help but reflect on what you want and how much further you have to go.”
Memphis Grizzlies
The Grizzlies’ set prominently displays the “MEM” logo that has appeared on the waistbands of their Association and Icon Edition uniforms, as well as the trim on their Statement uniforms, since 2018-19. It also carries over the asymmetrical design they’ve used sporadically since they were located in Vancouver.
From the Grizzlies: “This uni represents the simple joys of playing basketball on our local courts, from playgrounds to pros. It also maintains the team’s iconic asymmetry in the white striping down the side of the uniform connecting not only the team’s geography, with the Mississippi River anchoring the city and state on one side, but also the unique and unconventional cultural history of Memphis and the Grizzlies.”
Miami Heat
The Heat’s City Edition uniform features a red and white “Heat Culture” wordmark across the chest, a phrase that represents the franchise’s sustained success this century.
“Heat Culture may date back to 1995, but it wasn’t until 2016 that ‘Culture’ became part of the Heat brand as a gritty, war-torn graphic featured on tees and signage,” says the team. “A new version accompanied by the ‘Heat’ mark—created specifically for this uniform—officially brands it as our own.”
Miami will wear this uniform twenty (yes, twenty) times in 2023-24, starting with their game on November 3 vs Washington.
SHOP: All 30 NBA City Edition jerseys, shorts, shirts, and more available now!
Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks new City Edition uniform features a speckle pattern, inspired by photos of crowds gathering outside Fiserv Forum during their run to the 2021 NBA Championship.
“We do not take the bond we have developed with our fans for granted and take great pride in our role in bringing our communities together,” said Dustin Godsey, Bucks Chief Sales and Marketing Officer, in the team’s press release. “The indelible images of our fans packed in Deer District during the 2021 playoffs educated the world on something we have long known – we have the best fans in the NBA, and this uniform pays homage to them.”
The base of the uniform is Great Lakes Blue, originally added to the Bucks colour scheme during their last major rebranding back in 2015, a symbol of “the interconnectivity of Milwaukee formed by Lake Michigan and the three rivers that run through the city.”
Milwaukee will wear this set for the first time on November 3 against New York, it will be worn for seven home games throughout the 2023-24 season.
Minnesota Timberwolves
Unveiled in August, the Timberwolves’ City Edition set is an ode to the state’s nickname of “The Land of 10,000 Lakes,” as it features a water texture pattern across the chest and the back of the jersey.
New Orleans Pelicans
New Orleans’ new City Edition uniform is black with neon green highlights, “inspired by the mysterious allure of the city streets at night.”
“The Pelicans’ 2023-24 City Edition uniform pays homage to the enigmatic culture of New Orleans,” reads the press release. “The colour scheme emulates a neon glow beneath a blacklight, offering a glimpse into the city’s vibrant heritage. The uniform design features skeletonized logos and a customized NOLA wordmark.”
The Pelicans will debut this new uniform on November 4th against Atlanta.
New York Knicks
From the NBA: “The New York Knicks are collaborating with Kith for their ’23-’24 City Edition. This season’s edition is heavily influenced by the era of the late 90’s and early 2000’s, striving to bridge the gap between past and present.”
Oklahoma City Thunder
“The City Edition Uniform exemplifies Oklahoma City’s evolving landscape that we see in every neighbourhood in all quadrants of the city,” said Brian Byrnes, Thunder senior vice president of Sales and Marketing in the press release. “By tapping into the strong roots that have propelled us to where we are today, we’re witnessing inspiring innovation and momentum in everything from food to music to public transportation that’s carrying us forward as we move into the second quarter of the 21st century.”
Orlando Magic
From the NBA: “The Orlando Magic’s ’23-’24 City Edition uniform continues to recognize and honour the Orlando Magic and the City of Orlando as a unique kingdom on the rise.”
Philadelphia 76ers
The 76ers also unveiled their City Edition set during a special event for season ticket holders, which was held last month at Reading Terminal Market, a historic farmer’s market that serves as the inspiration for the uniforms. The font and the arrows on the right side of the jerseys are pulled directly from the neon sign outside of the market.
SHOP: All 30 NBA City Edition jerseys, shorts, shirts, and more available now!
Phoenix Suns
The Suns’ City Edition set features “El Valle” – the Spanish translation for “The Valley” – across the chest and an airbrushed design down the sides, which is reminiscent of the pinstripes on a lowrider, a customized car rooted in Mexican-American culture.
Portland Trail Blazers
The Trail Blazers will once again honour Hall of Fame head coach Dr. Jack Ramsay, who notably wore plaid jackets while leading the franchise to the 1976-77 NBA title, with plaid-accented City Edition uniforms. Their 2017-18 and 2021-22 City sets also had plaid accents.
Sacramento Kings
The Kings unveiled their City Edition uniforms as part of their 100th anniversary celebration last month. The blue jerseys feature a vertical team name and striping pattern, pulling inspiration from their time as the Cincinnati Royals, as they wore a similar design on the road from 1968-71.
San Antonio Spurs
The Spurs are celebrating the 55th anniversary of HemisFair ’68 (also known as the 1968 World’s Fair or International Exposition) with their City Edition set, which includes a throwback colour scheme of seafoam, orange, peach and brown.
San Antonio will wear their new City Edition uniform ten times this season, the first game coming on November 10 vs Minnesota.
Toronto Raptors
The Raptors’ gold City Edition uniforms feature an arched “Toronto” wordmark across the chest, mimicking their 2015-20 Association and Icon designs, as well as jagged pinstripes that are a callback to their 1995-99 uniforms.
From the NBA: “The Toronto Raptors’ ’23-’24 City Edition is a gold-based uniform, where every thread reflects Toronto’s radiance and passion for the game. With the colour-way flipped this season, it allows all fans to ‘drip gold.’”
Utah Jazz
The Jazz quietly unveiled this year’s City Edition uniforms alongside their current Association, Icon, Statement and Classic Edition sets last summer. The purple uniforms are inspired by their 1996-2004 mountain design, albeit with fewer colours.
Washington Wizards
The Wizards’ City Edition uniforms feature a black, red, copper and teal colour palette and are inspired by stones that mark the original boundary to the District of Columbia, which can also be seen in the diamond shape on the jerseys and pants. The stones also notably replace the Washington Monument in the logo on the shorts.
As we wrap up, here’s a look at all 30 NBA City Edition jerseys for the 2023-24 season:
SHOP: All 30 NBA City Edition jerseys, shorts, shirts, and more available now!
What’s your favourite? Which ones don’t you like? Has the City Edition program run its course? Let us know in the comments!
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