On Monday, the NBA released the city edition jerseys for each team in honor of the association’s 75th anniversary. Last season, the NHL released reverse retro jerseys in association with Adidas. I personally think that it would have been nice to see the reverse retro sweaters on the ice this season, but the fact that they exist is currently enough for me.
Today, I will be comparing the three best and three worst jerseys from both the NHL’s reverse retro series and the NBA’s diamond anniversary city series. Let’s dive right in.
Author’s note: This is solely my opinion, and the rankings are also in no particular order.
The three best city edition jerseys
1. Philadelphia 76ers
This jersey is marvelous. The nod to the Spectrum and their consistent references to the 70s and 80s bring back the days of Dr. J and Billy Cunningham dominating Pennsylvania. I love the interlocking 76 on the shorts and the main color used on this jersey has a feeling of nighttime hoops. Overall, I love the simplicity that this jersey has.
2. Brooklyn Nets
As soon as I saw the current Brooklyn Nets logo inside the 2000s New Jersey Nets logo, I was sold. The Nets hit it out of the park when referencing multiple eras of their dominance on both the sides and the wording of the jersey. Seeing these on the court will make it feel like we are watching 1970s basketball when we are really watching another glorious chapter of Nets basketball. Like with the 76ers jerseys, Dr. J would be proud.
3. Charlotte Hornets
The fade between the hexagons and the straight lines is so smooth that it should be studied as an art form. The original logo on the side of the shorts has me buzzing already. This is easily a masterpiece, and the classic Charlotte wording puts this jersey over the top. If you thought that the current Hornets jerseys were not an ode to the past, wait until you see these beauties on the court.
The three best reverse retro jerseys
1. Carolina Hurricanes
If there is any jersey that should be worn beyond this season, it is this one.
2. Minnesota Wild
The Wild did an amazing job blending in the colors from the city’s past and the logo of the present. Whether it is the block lettering or the use of the yellow throughout the jersey, this jersey just stands out to you as simply amazing. Honestly, the Wild should just wear these when they play the Blues in the Winter Classic next year.
3. Winnipeg Jets
The color gray is extremely underrated. I absolutely love the color scheme in this jersey because it references both the current Jets and the past Jets in one sitting. The classic Jets logo is synonymous with the Dale Hawerchuk era and this logo brings back those fond memories that the true north has. It may feel odd at first, but the substitution from red to gray brings a surprisingly impressive mixture.
The three worst city edition jerseys
1. Phoenix Suns
I feel massively disappointed. I was expecting references to the Barkley days, the Nash days or even the 70s when they almost won the Finals against the Celtics. I think that the City Edition jerseys last season were nice, but I was expecting a lot more than just “The Valley” in a historical jersey.
2. Utah Jazz
With jerseys like the Suns, I’m relatively disappointed in these jerseys. I honestly think the red rock jerseys are cool, but how do you ignore the ice-cold jerseys from the late 90s nor the original threads carried over from New Orleans? I was expecting a nice mixture, but I feel let down.
3. Oklahoma City Thunder
Don’t get me wrong, the references to several different Thunder jerseys are wonderful, but you can’t have a jersey that is plain white and ignore the days of the Seattle Supersonics. These jerseys would have much more relevance if the Sonics were referenced even once. Maybe this jersey is like a drawing board, and we can add the colors ourselves in which case I will paint it in Supersonics colors.
The three worst reverse retro jerseys
1. Vancouver Canucks
I’m a little disappointed in how this jersey came out. I felt like I was expecting a little bit more in this one; the reference to the 2000s is nice, but where are the shoutouts to the 90s or even 70s style jerseys that were relatively popular (no I do not mean those V jerseys)? For a team with over 50 years of hockey, I was expecting more than a nod to their current angry whale logo.
2. Dallas Stars
There’s too much white space with this one. The reference to their 1990s-2000s sweaters are hot, but the silver is hard to observe sometimes and without it the jersey just looks blinding white. The green is a great touch, but the best way to fix this is to have the part of the jersey below the star be all green or all black, then the jersey truly references the Stars’ time in Dallas.
3. Anaheim Ducks
I was expecting a lot more purple and a reference to the “Starbucks” era of Ducks jerseys and/or even references to the current Ducks’ theme. The numbering is pretty unique, but I think the Ducks tried way too hard to bring back something they didn’t necessarily like in the first place if they only had it for one season.
Again, these are only my rankings, and to be fair, most of these jerseys are fresh. We may have already seen the reverse retro jerseys on the ice, but it will be extremely fun to see the city edition uniforms on the court throughout this special diamond season of the NBA.
