24-25 NBA changes

[truepg]

32 minutes ago, gosioux76 said:

 

We're talking about two different things. I agree the Cavs have some unique elements to their branding, but I was referring specifically to uniforms. You said the Thunder's uniforms were terrible, I disagreed, and presented as an alternative a truly awful uniform, which is that of the Cavs, which even you agree look like practice jerseys. I wasn't debating the teams' respective visual identities in the whole; the Thunder logo, as most seem to agree, is pointless. But when it comes to uniforms, the Thunder set provides a bright and appealing color palette with a design that is neither too simple nor adorned with gimmicks. They're great despite the logo. If we're wondering why their uniforms have been around so long, that's the reason. 

 

To me, the Wolves Classics carry those same qualities and, yes, the brighter neon green certainly adds a new and welcome dimension to the look. But that isn't what makes them great. What makes them great is that they don't rely on novelty or fads to make them stand out. They're basketball uniforms that let the colors and the wordmark do the heavy lifting. 

 

I understand the nostalgic pull of the KG-era tree-trimmed look, but I've always thought they were too heavy on novelty and a product of their time: A shift toward darker navy at a time when that was trendy, the novelty tree-trim, a cartoonish '90s font, the aggro wolf logo. It was good in as much as it represented an era, but it was far from timeless. 

 

 

I see that you were talking about uniforms in particular, and my point still was that despite of all the things mentioned, the Cavs' uniforms are better, and OKC's are poor. Mainly for all the other reasons I went over.

 

To me this Classic Wolves' uniform in question is just a basic basketball template that has gained people's sympathy for the brighter green, a fresher color scheme that is unique to the league, and the throwback factor. The fact that their regular sets happen to be even duller also didn't hurt the case.

 

The KG-era uniforms had certain elements that were over the top product of the 90s, but the tree trim is an iconic and distinctive element they could own that should've been held onto no matter what. The more aggressive typography in general and logos suited the identity better to me. Ironically, the black uni also fit the look exceptionally well. And I just like the color palette of that era for them more.

[Brave-Bird 08]

Personally felt like they really had something going here 

 

[Digby]

The Thunder have had quite a few good alts, obviously the Native heritage one was probably tops. But I really liked the o.g. statement in navy, which felt like a solid update of their default look (the current City sorta does this too, but with a much worse wordmark). Last year's City really made the color scheme sing, too, with replacing the yellow with red clay and using that warm grey base to make the colors pop. I don't know why they stubbornly cling to the weak logo and the awful fonts, which have always belonged to a tasteless mall in 1998.

[Froob]

20 hours ago, Brave-Bird 08 said:

Personally felt like they really had something going here 

 

An orange version of this would be fun

[Telemundo219]

20 hours ago, Brave-Bird 08 said:

Personally felt like they really had something going here 

 

 

These have a lot of character 

These are were always my favorite Thunder jerseys though:

 

[spartacat_12]

On 5/9/2024 at 3:42 AM, Old School Fool said:

I don't hope the Raptors  don't wear a black and gold alternate next season...

 

I'd be surprised if they don't. As gimmicky as it is, the black & gold has essentially become the team's secondary brand, similar to the Heat Vice look. 

[Germanshepherd]

We just have to hope Drake’s public image turns so bad that even the Raptors don’t want to associate with him.
 

I think we’re still a ways away from that, but we’re closer than we’ve ever been. 

[DustDevil61]

8 hours ago, Telemundo219 said:

 

These have a lot of character 

These are were always my favorite Thunder jerseys though:

 

Much like the 1980s-2000s San Diego Chargers navy and the Coyotes Kachina jerseys,  these jerseys also didn’t get enough credit and weren’t fully appreciated until they were no longer worn.

 

That said, the Thunder were definitely onto something with those Native art-themed jerseys.

[PERRIN]

20 hours ago, DustDevil61 said:

Much like the 1980s-2000s San Diego Chargers navy and the Coyotes Kachina jerseys,  these jerseys also didn’t get enough credit and weren’t fully appreciated until they were no longer worn.

 

That said, the Thunder were definitely onto something with those Native art-themed jerseys.

Call me crazy, but I'd like to see a version of this uniform where the pattern extends to both sides of the jersey, front and back. I like this set, but I can't help but feel like navy shouldn't be the Thunder's primary jersey color. I love the way their bright blue and orange play off each other on their away set.

 

The native imagery-inspired city set would be my preferred basis for a refresh, though. That set is an absolute beauty and the patterns on it are lovely. I adore the subtle, patterned tonal sash, the Thunder should really embrace that element.

[Dynasty]

After seeing some of the DAL-OKC series, we have all this talk about the Thunder and their need of change, but the Mavericks have been going on almost a quarter of an entire century in the same look. Their color scheme is the worst of it, like what is their second color after Royal blue? Is it Navy? Silver? Black? Such a mess.

[FiddySicks]

Just for some context here:

 

The Mavs current brand and base set is only three years younger than the Denver Broncos last uniform set. And I actually think the brand itself debuted like a full year prior to that (I think Cuban released it only for the league to say he had to wait a year to actually use it). 

[pepis21]

On 5/10/2024 at 2:59 PM, Froob said:

An orange version of this would be fun

They had opportunity to did that as an earned version, but for some reason they made an orange version of their alternate uniform. Rockets and Warriors who had China based city also recolored their alternates for earned, so I guess maybe they didn't have permissions or something.

 

On 5/11/2024 at 12:21 AM, Germanshepherd said:

We just have to hope Drake’s public image turns so bad that even the Raptors don’t want to associate with him.
 

I think we’re still a ways away from that, but we’re closer than we’ve ever been. 

Unfortunately City uniforms for next season are already designed, so most likely they prepared another ovo.

[pelicanfan]

On 5/9/2024 at 11:59 AM, Brave-Bird 08 said:

Personally felt like they really had something going here 

 

 

what i love about this uniform is the amount of character it has without doing too much. there’s the subtle sash, the pattern on the waistband and sides. and the asymmetrical stripe on the shorts (and a bit on the top corner of the jersey too)

 

pretty much proves you can put heart into a design while still having a clean look. feel like teams these days are allergic to that and would rather just have an empty canvas for a uniform. it’s a shame, there’s just so much you can do with a uniform.

 

i remember this video describing the meaning behind the uniform had me hooked and i’ve been wanting the thunder to adapt these jerseys full time ever since

 

edit: full set concept on 2k. this would be my favorite set in the league if it happened

 

[MCM0313]

On 5/9/2024 at 12:59 PM, Brave-Bird 08 said:

Personally felt like they really had something going here 

 

Clearly, so did Russ. 

[Digby]

On 2024-05-11 at 5:59 PM, Dynasty said:

After seeing some of the DAL-OKC series, we have all this talk about the Thunder and their need of change, but the Mavericks have been going on almost a quarter of an entire century in the same look. Their color scheme is the worst of it, like what is their second color after Royal blue? Is it Navy? Silver? Black? Such a mess.

 

The instructive thing here too, which I may have mentioned earlier, is to look at their crowds. You'll people wearing every shade of blue, and also black, and also a ton of kelly green now with the throwback or fauxback stuff they've been putting out in recent years (and the Stars). Not that every team needs their crowds to be monochrome with the dorky 2XL t-shirt giveaways, but they shouldn't look like they're all rooting for different teams, either. 

 

The horrible font choices and the goofy logo are, of course, simply tired on their own.

[henburg]

On 5/11/2024 at 4:59 PM, Dynasty said:

After seeing some of the DAL-OKC series, we have all this talk about the Thunder and their need of change, but the Mavericks have been going on almost a quarter of an entire century in the same look. Their color scheme is the worst of it, like what is their second color after Royal blue? Is it Navy? Silver? Black? Such a mess.

100% agree, and I actually find the Mavericks emo horse logo and uniforms with piping to be more dated and offensive than what OKC sports now. It's mind boggling to me that they still insist on wearing them and completely missed the boat on creating an updated image for the Luka or even the Kyrie era of the team. 

[gosioux76]

1 hour ago, Digby said:

 

The instructive thing here too, which I may have mentioned earlier, is to look at their crowds. You'll people wearing every shade of blue, and also black, and also a ton of kelly green now with the throwback or fauxback stuff they've been putting out in recent years (and the Stars). Not that every team needs their crowds to be monochrome with the dorky 2XL t-shirt giveaways, but they shouldn't look like they're all rooting for different teams, either. 

 

The horrible font choices and the goofy logo are, of course, simply tired on their own.

 

This is a useful exercise in general to get an understanding of what works best for teams with several different eras in their visual history. 

 

The T-Wolves have the inaugural Pooh Richardson-to-Laettner-to-KG era, then the true KG era with the tree-trimmed uniforms, the forgettable Kevin Love-to-KAT era, to the modernist take on blandness they wear now, with the random City Edition uniforms tossed in there.

 

But when the cameras look to the crowds, I see an overwhelming number of people wearing either this year's Classic uniform or Mitchell & Ness throwbacks to the team's original look. On Friday, they did a close up of Twins legends Joe Mauer and Justin. Morneau. Mauer was wearing a KG uniform from the inaugural look, while Morneau had on a white hoodie with the orginal logo. 

 

I know I'm a homer for that look, but it appears that I'm far from the only one. 

 

As for the Mavs, it barely registered with me when they simplified their look from the Nowitizki-era look to what they wear now. Like the Wolves, the Mavs are another team that I think made a mistake by dropping green from their color palette. They original use of forest green paired with blue was a great look. 

[Digby]

3 hours ago, gosioux76 said:

As for the Mavs, it barely registered with me when they simplified their look from the Nowitizki-era look to what they wear now. Like the Wolves, the Mavs are another team that I think made a mistake by dropping green from their color palette. They original use of forest green paired with blue was a great look. 

 

I agree but that's also why I'm less high on the Wolves bringing back that original look -- the Mavs feel like the green-and-blue team to me, and the original Wolves look felt too much like an off-brand version of that. Lowering the green usage but dialing up the teal tint to the blue was the right move. (Though the green flashes of the late-00s look, when they first did that evolution away from the unhinged 90s Timberwolves lettering, maybe there was something interesting to do there but they never figured out how to use it besides as an afterthought.)

[gosioux76]

2 hours ago, Digby said:

 

I agree but that's also why I'm less high on the Wolves bringing back that original look -- the Mavs feel like the green-and-blue team to me, and the original Wolves look felt too much like an off-brand version of that. Lowering the green usage but dialing up the teal tint to the blue was the right move. (Though the green flashes of the late-00s look, when they first did that evolution away from the unhinged 90s Timberwolves lettering, maybe there was something interesting to do there but they never figured out how to use it besides as an afterthought.)

 

The Timberwolves have always, from Day 1, used a blue first, green secondary color scheme. They couldn't be an off-brand version of the Mavs because the Mavs were still a Green primary, blue secondary team when the Wolves joined the league in 89-90.  While they had a blue version of their jersey as far back as their first year in 1980, the green jerseys were the main part of their visual identity until 1993, when they dropped the green uniforms to become a primarily royal blue team — three full seasons after the Wolves entered the league with that color scheme. 

 

And even then, the Mavs haven't used green in their primary uniforms, outside of one-off alt uniforms, since 2001. So I'm not sure how the Mavs can be anybody's green-and-blue team if they don't actually use green anymore. 

 

Some visual history: 

 

Mavs  - 1989

Mavs. v. TWolves - 1993

 

[bushy]

On 5/1/2024 at 8:52 PM, jb1322 said:

Local Heat reporters are indicating a white version of the Heat culture jersey next season. 
 

 

oh my god kill me now. 
 

we shouldn’t even wear those monstrosities after the season we had.