2011-12 NBA Logo & Uniform changes

[tBBP]

Maybe to a ref, but not to the guy buying the replica jersey or the fan in the stands.

I guess it depends on who you're actually designing for (and to that end, which of these people you should be designing for when designing a uniform). Also, keep in mind that even if the front number isn't a dominant element, the back number certainly is.

I agree with everything you brought up about the Steelers, though. The problem for me is that the cluttered jersey design doesn't work well with the bold, simple helmet and pant designs. I'd love the Steelers to go back to the gold Northwestern stripes that they've been wearing on their throwbacks.

Buc brings up a good point about the 49ers as well. That uniform is serviced so well by the one color elements. It might seem weird philosophically for the jersey to be completely devoid of gold, but visually it works perfectly. The only problem I have with this uniform is the overly complicated helmet logo. A solid red oval with a white SF is all it needs, but it's full of black outlining instead.

As far as "initial" logos go, I don't think there's one that bugs me more than the Niners' "SF". And it's pretty much for the exact reason Andy mentioned here; the inclusion of the black. (What's weird here is it worked damn near perfectly with the Niners' last uniform set, or rather, they made the uniform work with it.) But now, or at least at some point, i really think that, if SF is going to go the simplistic route, they find some way to get that logo to match.

And since we're discussing the Niners, unless I'm missing something, they're one of only two NFL teams whose jerseys have no trace of the other dominant uniform color--in the Niners' case, no gold. The other, the Buccaneers, includes no pewter. For a short while, I believe the Cowboys used to do this too--all blue (or white), no silver. Naturally their home shirts still do this--but we all know the Boys' well-documented color issues.

(Not to go too far off the rails, but I've always been under the impression that the current Buccaneers' uniforms and the previous-era 49ers' uniforms were co-developed, right down to the block number styles. If one looks back, the Niners and Buccaneers unveiled them around the same time, though the Niners couldn't quite seem to figure out whether they wanted to stick with that style, or the bevel-block style used by the Jaguars their first two years in the league...so much so I can remember both styles appearing on the field at the same time.)

[whitedawg22]

That uniform is serviced so well by the one color elements. It might seem weird philosophically for the jersey to be completely devoid of gold, but visually it works perfectly. The only problem I have with this uniform is the overly complicated helmet logo. A solid red oval with a white SF is all it needs, but it's full of black outlining instead.

I think judicious use of a black outline can make the SF logo pop far more than just red and white on gold would. For example, the 1980s uniform used black outlining and looked great:

When they updated the uniform, they ballooned the black circle out around the red oval, putting a crescent of gold in between and making the circle a design element in itself:

But for some reason, when they arrived at the modern fauxbacks, they kept the black circle ballooning out around the red oval:

There's no reason to have such a wide black circle, or to have it orbiting around the red oval rather than flush against it. There's no reason to scrap the circle entirely, but if they went back to the 1980s circle, all would be well.

[andrewharrington]

That uniform is serviced so well by the one color elements. It might seem weird philosophically for the jersey to be completely devoid of gold, but visually it works perfectly. The only problem I have with this uniform is the overly complicated helmet logo. A solid red oval with a white SF is all it needs, but it's full of black outlining instead.

I think judicious use of a black outline can make the SF logo pop far more than just red and white on gold would. For example, the 1980s uniform used black outlining and looked great:

When they updated the uniform, they ballooned the black circle out around the red oval, putting a crescent of gold in between and making the circle a design element in itself:

But for some reason, when they arrived at the modern fauxbacks, they kept the black circle ballooning out around the red oval:

There's no reason to have such a wide black circle, or to have it orbiting around the red oval rather than flush against it. There's no reason to scrap the circle entirely, but if they went back to the 1980s circle, all would be well.

The helmet stripes pop just fine without any black. Ditching the black outline from the oval and the letters would make the logo much more in tune with the rest of the uniform. It would work better with the other elements instead of popping out like a sore thumb.

If it were me, though, I'd pull the SF out of the oval and enlarge it.

[Kramerica Industries]

The Miami Heat just love wearing those all-black "home alts", if you will, for national games.

Thunder, Bulls, Lakers, Magic x2, and I'm sure they've worn them on at least another occasion or two. Not that they're bad jerseys - but white is the home color for basketball, sans the Lakers. They should be no different, even if they are the huge antagonists to the average NBA fan.

[BigPhil39]

Watching the Cavs game and Dan Gilbert (Cavs owner) spent some time in the booth with the play-by-play and color guys and said that they have had a yellow uniform made up, just like their white and burgundy uniforms, and that they are protesting the league ruling and hoping to wear yellow at home next season.

[Captain Invader]

Watching the Cavs game and Dan Gilbert (Cavs owner) spent some time in the booth with the play-by-play and color guys and said that they have had a yellow uniform made up, just like their white and burgundy uniforms, and that they are protesting the league ruling and hoping to wear yellow at home next season.

I hope so. I like the road wine and gold unis. But the home white ones, with no gold (err, 'yellow') trim on the numbers look like they are missing something (read: gold trim on the numbers and letters). Making the home unis gold (yellow) to mimic the reverse of the road unis would be a very good move in my opinion. Plus it would recall memories of the 70's home gold uni's.

And for Dan G., I would guess home gold uni's would be very big sellers in the team shop. I hope the NBA lets them do it.

[Dounner]

The Warriors should do the same .Their white homes just are a little off if they had some gold home unis that would be perfect.

[HolyStroke]

When the Warriors changed uniforms the league would not allow them to have a yellow home uniform, they won't allow the Cavs either.

They already handed Gilbert two top 5 picks last year, isn't that enough

[vmd9]

Watching the Cavs game and Dan Gilbert (Cavs owner) spent some time in the booth with the play-by-play and color guys and said that they have had a yellow uniform made up, just like their white and burgundy uniforms, and that they are protesting the league ruling and hoping to wear yellow at home next season.

I hope so. I like the road wine and gold unis. But the home white ones, with no gold (err, 'yellow') trim on the numbers look like they are missing something (read: gold trim on the numbers and letters). Making the home unis gold (yellow) to mimic the reverse of the road unis would be a very good move in my opinion. Plus it would recall memories of the 70's home gold uni's.

And for Dan G., I would guess home gold uni's would be very big sellers in the team shop. I hope the NBA lets them do it.

I think gold would look better, but whites need to stay as an alternate. I doubt the league would overturn the rule just for one team, but I guess it couldn't hurt to give it a shot. I'm guessing even if the league ignored them, they could still wear golds as an alternate correct? Also what's the rule on the Laker's gold? were they grandfathered in?

[The_Admiral]

Yeah, the Lakers were grandfathered in. Even though the Warriors, Cavaliers, and others had worn yellow/gold at home before, they weren't then, and so now they won't. I'm fine with it being the exclusive province of the Lakers, personally. If teams could wear yellow at home, probably like another six or seven teams would, and then the Lakers wouldn't be as special.

[vmd9]

Yeah, the Lakers were grandfathered in. Even though the Warriors, Cavaliers, and others had worn yellow/gold at home before, they weren't then, and so now they won't. I'm fine with it being the exclusive province of the Lakers, personally. If teams could wear yellow at home, probably like another six or seven teams would, and then the Lakers wouldn't be as special.

True, and most people around here would probably see a Cavs gold jersey and say "wow great now they are copying the Lakers"

[Dounner]

If the other teams can't wear the yellow and only the Lakers can then the Lakers should not be allowed to wear the whites.

[Kevin W.]

I wish the Lakers would wear their whites at home full-time. They have one of the best white uniforms in the league.

[Dounner]

Wrong! Laker whites are horrible!

[Wilt]

Warning: Choking hazard

[shaydre1019]

IS there a rule on wearing alts for the playoffs? iirc the cavs wore the blues often, but im not sure. I think it would be really sweet if Miami wore their Floridians uniforms. If any team can pull of pink it's the heat.

[Billy B]

IS there a rule on wearing alts for the playoffs? iirc the cavs wore the blues often, but im not sure. I think it would be really sweet if Miami wore their Floridians uniforms. If any team can pull of pink it's the heat.

I think that teams usually will pick either the alt or the road uniform for the whole playoffs, but I don't believe it's a hard rule like in the NHL. The Heat still switch off between black and red after every loss and I'm pretty sure the Lakers wear white for Sunday games in the playoffs.

[Old School Fool]

Warning: Choking hazard

Wow, I have that and a bunch of other players aswell.

[Fox]

IS there a rule on wearing alts for the playoffs? iirc the cavs wore the blues often, but im not sure. I think it would be really sweet if Miami wore their Floridians uniforms. If any team can pull of pink it's the heat.

I think that teams usually will pick either the alt or the road uniform for the whole playoffs, but I don't believe it's a hard rule like in the NHL. The Heat still switch off between black and red after every loss and I'm pretty sure the Lakers wear white for Sunday games in the playoffs.

Yep, and Orlando wore their black alternates in game 1 against the Pacers. I personally prefer their blue jerseys, but they seem to love wearing the black ones. I wouldn't be surprised if that eventually becomes the primary.

[Conrad.]

Warning: Choking hazard

Wow, I have that and a bunch of other players aswell.

same here. i have half a wall dedicated to Headliners...love those things.