G-League’s Raptors 905 Introduce ’90s-Inspired Lunar New Year Jerseys

Raptors 905, the NBA G-League affiliate of the Toronto Raptors, are mixing their parent club’s look from the 1990s with symbols from the upcoming Lunar New Year to make one awesome-looking jersey.

Raptors 905 unveiled the jerseys on their social media channels on Tuesday, January 23, and they’ll wear them on Wednesday, January 31, when they take on the Maine Celtics.

The jerseys celebrate the Year of the Dragon starting in 2024 with a red dragon across the front of the jersey in the same style as the dinosaur that adorned the Raptors’ jerseys from 1995 to 1999. The base of the jersey is dark grey, and accents on the dragon on gold, silver and white. The basketball the dragon is holding is one of the Raptors’ current alternate logos.

*The Raptors’ away jerseys from 1995 to 1999.*

“905” is written out in gold with grey and red outlines across the chest, while the player number appears in gold to the right of the dragon. The arms and collar are trimmed with red and black.

The whole jersey contains decorative cloud patterns called xiangyun, which are found in many traditional Asian art pieces. The sides of the jersey contain geometric squares, a pattern that’s common in Chinese artwork and architecture.

This isn’t the first time Raptors 905 has marked the Lunar New Year with special jerseys. They previously rolled out Lunar New Year designs in 2020, 2022 and 2023.

*Photos courtesy **@Raptors905** / Twitter*

The Lunar New Year is coming up on Saturday, February 10. The Chinese zodiac calendar contains 12 animals, which are believed to define the key traits of those born in that year.

According to the website of Bendigo Joss House Temple, a Chinese temple in Australia, those born in 2024 are believed to be lucky, flexible, eccentric, imaginative, artistic, spiritual and charismatic thanks to the dragon.

Raptors 905’s Lunar New Year game against Maine tips off at 7:30 p.m. ET and will “an incredible in-arena experience” thanks to a partnership with the Canadian Chinese Youth Athletic Association. Fans will also be able to buy their own Lunar New Year jersey at the game.

Raptors 905 play out of the Paramount Fine Foods Centre in Mississauga, Ontario, about an hour’s drive east of downtown Toronto.