2022-23 NBA Logo & Jersey Changes

[iamdaviinci]

26 minutes ago, truepg said:

The charm of the 90s' identities lies in its own way of being "over the top", and trying to "modernize" such a look would kind of strip it of its essence.

That's why creating a new "mountain identity" for the Jazz wouldn't be to replace the old one, rather than using those motifs for a new, modern, cleaner look that takes cues from the original, which is totally doable.

 

Agreed that stripping something so charmingly over-the-top of its essence would be doomed from the start....but isn't that what's being suggested by a new mountain identity with most of the same colors and a cleaner look? Please forgive me if I've misinterpreted, but that path seems like something that could instantly end up as a "Mom, can we have '90s Jazz jerseys?" / "No, we have '90s Jazz jerseys at home" meme. It would have to be done almost if not perfectly, and I don't think the Jazz currently have much margin for error in approaching their next identity.

 

As @Digby mentioned, though, last year's City Edition mashups may offer some answers. Teams like the Wolves and Raptors successfully reintroduced '90s design elements by flipping the color palettes. That helps to avoid direct comparison to classic looks, letting the uniform stand more on its own merits.

 

Perhaps a larger application of this has been seen across many of the Grizzlies' recent looks. For example, the patterned trim on their previous and current Statement Editions draws inspiration from their inaugural Vancouver uniforms, but does so in a way that's true to their current identity and aesthetically modern. The inspiration connecting the two uniforms is clear, but I'd be surprised if anyone saw the two and invited a direct comparison between them.

 

[truepg]

28 minutes ago, iamdaviinci said:

 

Agreed that stripping something so charmingly over-the-top of its essence would be doomed from the start....but isn't that what's being suggested by a new mountain identity with most of the same colors and a cleaner look? Please forgive me if I've misinterpreted, but that path seems like something that could instantly end up as a "Mom, can we have '90s Jazz jerseys?" / "No, we have '90s Jazz jerseys at home" meme. It would have to be done almost if not perfectly, and I don't think the Jazz currently have much margin for error in approaching their next identity.

 

As @Digby mentioned, though, last year's City Edition mashups may offer some answers. Teams like the Wolves and Raptors successfully reintroduced '90s design elements by flipping the color palettes. That helps to avoid direct comparison to classic looks, letting the uniform stand more on its own merits.

 

Perhaps a larger application of this has been seen across many of the Grizzlies' recent looks. For example, the patterned trim on their previous and current Statement Editions draws inspiration from their inaugural Vancouver uniforms, but does so in a way that's true to their current identity and aesthetically modern. The inspiration connecting the two uniforms is clear, but I'd be surprised if anyone saw the two and invited a direct comparison between them.

 

 

You gave a good example yourself as an answer to your initial question. I would go even further and point to the color mashup "Isaac Hayes tribute" City edition from a couple seasons ago that had the same trim pattern and used the Vancouver era colors, in addition to those Grizzlies unis you already mentioned. They did a great job in achieving exactly that - reintroducing an element in a modernized, but still recognizable and I would say clearly associable way with the original. The Wizards are another good example with their regular look. The Hornets have done it too, although, with mixed success.

[IceCap]

2 hours ago, Digby said:

 

I thought the ideal Jazz set was the one they just departed from (preferably though the Adidas-late-era green for the alternate). Purplish-indigo, darker and richer shades of golden yellow and green felt like a classy and modern take on what the Jazz have been before. This was one of the smartest modernizations in the league IMHO, showed how you don't need to nuke your brand every six years but also don't have to be a Celtics-level traditionalist, either, which is probably the space most teams should aim to occupy.

That look is so stuffy. 

[Indigo]

Utah's gotten to the point where they've had so many color schemes that it would be impossible to pick one that will please everyone.

Anyways, here's this rought edit of the 90s jersey with NOLA Hornets colors:

[jamesizzo]

2 hours ago, IceCap said:

That look is so stuffy. 

is that good or bad? 

[VikWings]

7 hours ago, Digby said:

 

I thought the ideal Jazz set was the one they just departed from (preferably though the Adidas-late-era green for the alternate). Purplish-indigo, darker and richer shades of golden yellow and green felt like a classy and modern take on what the Jazz have been before. This was one of the smartest modernizations in the league IMHO, showed how you don't need to nuke your brand every six years but also don't have to be a Celtics-level traditionalist, either, which is probably the space most teams should aim to occupy.

 

The ones before that were perfectly fine before they cut big chunks out of the side panels diagonally. The "incomplete" stripes bother the hell out of me. It's like the Titans floating boxes/pit stains.

 

 

[-Akronite-]

13 hours ago, VikWings said:

 

The ones before that were perfectly fine before they cut big chunks out of the side panels diagonally. The "incomplete" stripes bother the hell out of me. It's like the Titans floating boxes/pit stains.

 

 

 

The 3-stripe pattern is better, but I would like to see it as a full side panel.

[pelicanfan]

17 hours ago, VikWings said:

 

The ones before that were perfectly fine before they cut big chunks out of the side panels diagonally. The "incomplete" stripes bother the hell out of me. It's like the Titans floating boxes/pit stains.

i actually weirdly like the incomplete stripe design. it added some sharpness and i think was sorta meant to resemble the top end of their logo. i say that because i think its what led to them going for this design for their last earned jerseys: 

 

thats just my guess. but i liked their incomplete stripes. it set them apart from all the other teams that had/have stripes running down the sides. even if it was in a sort of odd way. 

[PERRIN]

15 minutes ago, pelicanfan said:

i actually weirdly like the incomplete stripe design. it added some sharpness and i think was sorta meant to resemble the top end of their logo. i say that because i think its what led to them going for this design for their last earned jerseys: 

 

thats just my guess. but i liked their incomplete stripes. it set them apart from all the other teams that had/have stripes running down the sides. even if it was in a sort of odd way. 

I wouldn't mind the black and yellow color scheme nearly as much if they used this striping and number/logo treatment. This is a damn good uniform. I can definitely see the reference to the tail of the note logo here. Add this uniform to the pool of sets that should be mocked up in purple/gold/green or purple/light blue/copper.

 

I feel like at this point the Jazz have used so many different color schemes and uniform styles that at this point any combination of older sets or any modernization using one color scheme over the others would feel a bit too disjointed. It's a tough situation for whoever they put in charge of designing the next set. Everyone has their favorite era and color scheme, whatever direction they go with is bound to disappoint a good portion of the fanbase. 

 

That being said, I'd be completely down with numerous directions. I wanna either see the previous set in Mardi Gras colors or see a modern combination of the '90s mountain set and redrock jerseys in purple/light blue/copper. As long as there's careful thought put into it, and it does something inspired by the numerous sets of the past, I'll like whatever they come up with. If they go for something dumb and trendy like what they tried with the atrocious black and yellow rebrand, I'll be incredibly disappointed.

[eRay]

Since Ryan Smith's a tech guy and seems to be a trend chaser, and the Jazz have used every color in the world, could they pull off a black and white and blurry gradient look? (then what would they do in 2 years when thats way out of style?)

[Conrad.]

^ that'd be funny if they try to be the first team to do "Iridescent" as a color. it'd just be a combination of all their colors used over the years, anyway.

 

also, fwiw, i like the truncated stripes on the recent Jazz template, too. echoes the slanted top of a music note and their main logotype. and it sets them apart from plain side panel uniforms that have been done across the league over the years. 

[Indigo]

2 hours ago, PERRIN said:

I wouldn't mind the black and yellow color scheme nearly as much if they used this striping and number/logo treatment. This is a damn good uniform. I can definitely see the reference to the tail of the note logo here. Add this uniform to the pool of sets that should be mocked up in purple/gold/green or purple/light blue/copper.

[PERRIN]

1 minute ago, LA Fakers+ LA Snippers said:

Thank you for your service sir your efforts are greatly appreciated

[Digby]

Reason I liked the later update was because of that side-stripe treatment (though yeah, the later-later kelly green jersey did it even better) and the updated number font. As other have mentioned, the angular look felt like a nod to the mountains and the music-note lineages at the same time. The initial fauxback rebrand, with the full stripes and basic block, felt too simple to me, and updating the color scheme but not changing the rest of it felt too odd to me, like it didn't hit its stride until the later modern touches.

 

On another note, funny to me how all the various Jazz design eras get brought up in these conversations...except for these. Most forgettable unis in NBA history. 

 

[AstroCreep]

4 hours ago, Digby said:

Reason I liked the later update was because of that side-stripe treatment (though yeah, the later-later kelly green jersey did it even better) and the updated number font. As other have mentioned, the angular look felt like a nod to the mountains and the music-note lineages at the same time. The initial fauxback rebrand, with the full stripes and basic block, felt too simple to me, and updating the color scheme but not changing the rest of it felt too odd to me, like it didn't hit its stride until the later modern touches.

 

On another note, funny to me how all the various Jazz design eras get brought up in these conversations...except for these. Most forgettable unis in NBA history. 

 

Their best from that set were the blue alts. 

[DG_ThenNowForever]

Had a WTF moment when I turned on the Lakers/Pistons game to see the Pistons wearing Milwaukee Bucks green at home.

 

This stupid league.

 

EDIT: I'm sure there's a reason the Pistons are wearing Milwaukee Bucks Christmas uniforms, but I don't care. It's too much.

 

 

[Ken Bannister]

7 hours ago, DG_ThenNowForever said:

Had a WTF moment when I turned on the Lakers/Pistons game to see the Pistons wearing Milwaukee Bucks green at home.

 

This stupid league.

 

EDIT: I'm sure there's a reason the Pistons are wearing Milwaukee Bucks Christmas uniforms, but I don't care. It's too much.

 

 

i think of Dallas Fauxback before Milwaukee

[projectjohn]

11 hours ago, DG_ThenNowForever said:

Had a WTF moment when I turned on the Lakers/Pistons game to see the Pistons wearing Milwaukee Bucks green at home.

 

This stupid league.

 

EDIT: I'm sure there's a reason the Pistons are wearing Milwaukee Bucks Christmas uniforms, but I don't care. It's too much.

 

 

The sad part is that it's by far the best City or Pride (using Adidas' nomenclature) jersey the Pistons have had going back the nearly 10 years this program has been in existence. 

[spartacat_12]

20 hours ago, insert name said:

Their best from that set were the blue alts. 

 

I've always thought that this jersey with navy swapped out for purple would be a solid look.

[Indigo]

4 hours ago, spartacat_12 said:

 

I've always thought that this jersey with navy swapped out for purple would be a solid look.

The Uniform Fantasy Photoshopper™ strikes again.