The scourge of sleeved NBA jerseys has overswept many teams in the league, however, for those of you who hate the mere existence of these eyesores, we come with good news.
Nike, who takes over the league’s apparel contract next season, plans to ax them, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Nike, meanwhile, is expected to present its initial NBA jersey designs to retailers beginning this week. The company said it doesn’t plan to produce sleeved jerseys, a style debuted by Adidas in 2013 that received mixed reviews from players and fans.
19 of 30 teams currently sport sleeved jerseys, much to the chagrin of players and fans alike. The Utah Jazz just introduced a sleeved alternate this season, but may end up scrapping it when Nike comes in. The Cavs wore their “pride” sleeved uniforms all the way to the NBA Title last spring.
This seems to be just one of many changes Nike is going to bring to the NBA’s aesthetics next season, along with a few team re-designs, a spot for ads, and the Nike swoosh on jerseys. Since sleeved jerseys are a uniquely Adidas thing, and Nike and Adidas sort of have a blood feud, it makes sense for the sleeved jerseys to go the way of the dodo bird when their champion leaves the sport.
I, for one, am ecstatic that those monstrosities are going to be resigned to the dustbin of bad uniform history, but there are probably some of you who enjoyed them. For you, I’m sorry, in more ways than one. But for the rest of us: it’s time to celebrate a little.
