The other day it was revealed that the Golden State Warriors had chosen Rakuten, an electronic commerce and internet company to have their logo on every Warriors jersey, including home/away and even practice uniforms. It only makes sense that the most technological advanced team in the NBA would parter up with largest e-commerce company in Japan.
This is not only quite the change for the Warriors, but also the NBA. Most teams will have some type of sponsor on the right side (if you’re looking at the jersey directly, not if you’re wearing it) and that has never been seen before. The biggest soccer clubs in the world have been doing this for years now and it’s must bigger than a small patch.
This is not the only new change the NBA will feature this 2017-18 season. After a long partnership with Adidas, the NBA has once again turned to Nike to be the official apparel provider and this upcoming season will be the first time we see the swoosh on every jersey.
Nike was aggressive from the start and delivered new designs for every team, along with getting rid of the traditional “home” and “away” themes. Nike has now implemented four different styles, including a “statement” jersey. Some NBA teams will not have drastic changes, but the Warriors were lucky to have a completely new jersey for this edition.
While the Warriors are moving to San Francisco in a few years, the NBA still wanted to honor their current home, Oakland. The Warriors “statement” jersey will be black and have “The Town” on the front with a white logo and letters. The jersey will be outlined yellow on the color, but white on the sides. The Nike logo will be yellow and the Rakuten logo will also feature some yellow.
For more information on “The Town” statement jersey, here is the official press release from the Warriors:
LOS ANGELES, Calif. – Sept. 15, 2017 – Ushering in a radical evolution of the fan experience, NIKE, Inc. and the NBA today unveiled three new innovations: the Nike NBA Connected Jersey, the first NBA jersey that gives the wearer an all-access pass into the world of their favorite team and players; Statement Edition uniforms; and the Nike Therma Flex Showtime Warm-up Jacket, the first hooded jacket to be worn on the court during gametime. The official announcements took place at an event in Los Angeles attended by players from all 30 NBA teams.
“When you think about basketball, you think of Nike and the NBA,” said Mark Parker, Chairman, CEO and President of NIKE, Inc. “After helping fuel the sport’s impact for years, we are thrilled to now be able to push the boundaries of what’s possible directly with the NBA. From modernizing the look of the game to revolutionizing how fans can be a part of it, we can’t wait for the season to start.”
“Our Nike uniforms set a new standard for connecting our most passionate fans with their favorite NBA teams and players,” said Adam Silver, NBA Commissioner. “Nike has once again taken the game of basketball to a new level, this time with one of the most advanced jerseys in sports.”
Using new NikeConnect technology, each adult-sized Nike NBA Connected Jersey will have an embedded NFC (near field communication) chip that will launch real-time team and player content such as pregame arrival footage, highlight packages and top players’ favorite music playlists – all on the jersey owner’s mobile device. Throughout the season, a wealth of exclusive offers and experiences will bring fans closer to the game they love.
To unlock it all, fans will download the NikeConnect app and tap the jersey with their smartphone. These jerseys become available online globally on Sept. 29, rewarding the game’s fans with a revolutionary experience that creates a new point of connection between fans and the game.
“In our new connected era, Nike will lead with products that build a relationship with our consumers,” said Trevor Edwards, President, Nike Brand. “With NikeConnect, we deliver to basketball fans everywhere the personal and premium experiences we know they love.”
Nike and the NBA also unveiled the third of four core team uniforms – the Statement Edition, inspired by teams’ desire to make a bold statement the moment they step on the court. Nike’s designers worked with the teams and the brand’s roster of athletes to create new and updated uniforms for this third edition.
The Statement Edition uniform follows the earlier unveiling of the Association and Icon Edition uniforms. As previously announced, the home teams will determine which uniforms to wear at their games. The fourth team edition will be released later this year.
In addition to the new uniforms, Nike and the NBA debuted the Nike Therma Flex Showtime Warm-up Jacket, the first on-court warm-up jacket with a performance hood. Celebrating the style of the game, Nike designers refreshed a beloved apparel staple into a new performance product for athletes on and off the court.
The jacket, created with new Nike Therma Flex fabric, helps athletes maintain the right body temperature during pregame warm-ups and downtime during a game – a critical element for peak performance. Developed with input from top NBA athletes, the reimagined hood allows for optimal vision, hearing and warmth, delivering a greater intersection between performance and style – a key request from NBA athletes.
The Nike NBA Connected Jersey is available exclusively online starting Sept. 29, and the Nike NBA uniforms and Nike Therma Flex Showtime Warm-up Jacket will debut on-court on Sept. 30, the start of the NBA preseason. All Statement Edition jerseys will be available at retail on Nov. 20, and will begin being worn on-court on Nov. 25.