Uniforms

Kentucky Unveils New Uniforms

Press Release — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 17:51:03 -0700

LEXINGTON, Ky. (October 10, 2008) – Across the rolling hills, from Keeneland to Churchill Downs, the echoes and influence of the thoroughbred are virtually omnipresent throughout the state of Kentucky. The University of Kentucky’s new uniforms pay tribute to the state’s long and prestigious horse racing tradition, as well as that of its men’s basketball program, one that has garnered over 1900 wins and seven championships.

Inspired in part by the jockey silks that adorned the likes of Kentucky legends on the racetrack, the Wildcats’ new shorts and jerseys each features elements of a royal blue and white checkerboard pattern. The checkered design subtly plays out on the front of the team’s jerseys and shorts.

In addition, on Kentucky’s white uniforms, a blue and white checkerboard swatch is centered on the waistband of their shorts and features eight individual “boxes.” Emblazoned in seven of the eight squares are the numbers ’48, ’49, ’51, ’58, ’78, ’96 and ’98, representing championship seasons for the Wildcats. The “empty” eighth quadrant serves as a reminder of the school’s legacy and motivation for the current Wildcats to ensure another year is soon inscribed within it.

“Our hope was to use the uniform as a canvas to tell a bigger story of the championship spirit of the state of Kentucky and its basketball team,” said Tracy Teague, Global Creative Director for Nike Basketball. “Additionally, we desired to create functional uniforms that allowed the players to display the athleticism, power, speed and strength critical for success on the court.”

-- Performance Benefits for the Court

Kentucky’s new uniforms incorporate several Nike innovations that were first introduced for the USA Basketball Men’s National Team that captured gold this past August in Beijing. The jerseys take advantage of Nike Aerographics, an engineered mesh providing zoned cooling that reduces up to half the yarn, making it more lightweight and breathable. Specific adjustments in the waistband, shoulder seam and other areas, along with Nike Dri-FIT technology, provide increased comfort and thermoregulation to enable players to perform at their optimal level on the court.

“The University of Kentucky is honored to be selected as the first collegiate basketball team to incorporate Nike’s new innovations,” said Kentucky Head Coach Billy Gillispie. “The elements of the new uniforms featuring two of our greatest heroes are a reminder of the passion that the Bluegrass state has for its horse racing and Kentucky basketball.”

--Midnight Madness Debut

The Wildcats will wear the new uniforms for the first time during the school’s Midnight Madness festivities and throughout the 2008-09 season.

Oklahoma Revelas New Uniforms

Press Release — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 07:21:40 -0700

NORMAN, Okla. - The University of Oklahoma men's basketball team unveiled its 2008-09 uniforms on Thursday, a white home set and a crimson away combo from Nike Elite that are modern in cut but traditional in feel.

"Nike did a great job working with us to come up with a look unique to OU," said Sooners head coach Jeff Capel. "We wanted to create our own state-of-the-art look while preserving a classic feel, and I think we accomplished that. Our players really seem to like the new design."

The home white and road crimson uniforms sport a cut similar to the ones the Sooners wore last year, but showcase completely new trim. Double stripes are featured on both sides of the jerseys and shorts, resembling those on the OU football team's pants. An OU logo was added to the lower left shorts front, "OKLAHOMA" now appears above the numbers on the jersey front (replacing the "SOONERS" that was used last year) and a schooner wheel adorns the middle of the front waistline.

Also back following a one-year hiatus are last names on the backs of the jerseys. No gray is utilized on the new uniforms.

NBA: Best Uniforms

Hoopsworld — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 08:08:37 -0700

By: Preetom Bhattacharya

With several NBA teams set to unveil new uniforms for next season, HOOPSWORLD decided to make the foray into fashion by judging which teams have the best designs for their jerseys.

Although the extent of this particular writer's fashion acumen is the occasional viewing of Project Runway, it isn't hard to see how NBA Jerseys have evolved in recent years with more prominent block lettering and basic trim. The days of the jersey variety provided by quirky eccentricities have ended, as we say goodbye to each team's unique take on what to emblazon upon their uniforms.

A quick trip down nostalgia lane, for better or worse, before moving on to the best of today's league. Remember those...

- Purple Phoenix Suns jerseys with the blazing basketball treaking across the chest?
- Pinstriped Chicago Bulls jerseys?
- Multi-colored Denver Nuggets jerseys with the skyline and Rocky Mountains?
- Detroit Pistons jerseys with the horsepower represented with exhaust pipes (and a horse)?
- Cartoon animals or fonts prominently displayed on the chest of the the mid-90s Atlanta Hawks, Memphis Grizzlies, and Toronto Raptors uniforms?

In any case, it's time to move on from the past and take a look at what teams are doing now. The best maintain sense of their own identity in their duds, never lost among the fray.

Keeping it Simple

There's something to be said about a classic look that never really changes. Four teams in particular have seemed to embrace that concept, the Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics, Portland Trail Blazers and San Antonio Spurs.

Quite literally the gold standard, the Lakers are the only team that doesn't wear white at home (except on Sundays), combining gold with the "forum blue" (aka purple) to create a truly iconic look. The team hasn't changed the overall look of the uniforms for good reason, except for changing the shape of the shoulder straps.

As the team with the most championships in the league, the Boston Celtics have kept as simple as they can when it comes to their jerseys. Some may say it's plain to have an austere "CELTICS" spread across the chest, but there certainly is something charming to the crisp and clean white and green, isn't there? The team has occasionally threw in a shamrock or introduced black here and there, but the old-school staple is still the winning formula.

Could one of the NBA's most fundamental players, Tim Duncan, play in a more fundamentally sound uniform? The Spurs have stuck to the unfussy black and silver combination for years and are one of the few teams still using the tank-top style rather than the broad-shouldered version most teams use now. The logo is simple but unique to the team and it's Texas roots and the team avoids making things busy.

The Portland Trail Blazers have basically maintained the same logo and jersey since their inception in the 1970s, and with good reason. The team's logo is one of the most unique in the league and has a great trivia behind it: the logo is a representation of two basketball teams lined up against each other, five-on-five in opposite colors (there's always red for the Blazers and the other five are either black, silver, or white for the other team). The team has kept the logo and maintained the "blaze" two-toned diagonal on the jersey since winning the championship in 1977.

A Refreshed Look

One of the nicer newer jerseys is the one the Cleveland Cavaliers introduced after drafting LeBron James in 2003. The updated look served as a bit of an homage to Cavs teams in the past, hearkening back to the squad's original wine and gold colors of the 70s while also maintaining a hint of blue to honor some of the success the team achieved in the 90s, when orange and blue were the primary colors.

Plus, anything is better than the "tiger stripe" black and light blue uniforms of the mid-90s.

Truly Retro

The NBA's "Hardwood Classic" nights are fan favorites for the opportunity to see jerseys from the teams' fashion history. By far the best retro jerseys, though, are those of the Atlanta Hawks and Golden State Warriors.

Before moving to a primary red color in the mid-70s, the Hawks briefly featured a weird green and blue combo in the early 70s. The blue road jerseys in particular, though, were a great look (the green? Not so much). You may recall the players' named being beneath their numbers .. and Pete Maravich simply having "PISTOL" written for his.

Widely considered the best NBA jersey ever, though, is the Golden State Warriors' "The City" uniforms. The team donned these in mid-to-late-60s and the look is still great for today's Bay Area franchise, with a cable car (housing the numbers) on the back and a bridge prominently displayed on the front. With "The City" on the front, the Warriors jersey itself screamed confidence, perfectly capturing the unique Bay Area flavor on the jersey. A bonus? Like many college teams, the original jersey did not include player names, making the uniform literally more about "the crest on the chest than the name on the back."

Disagree?... did we neglect your favorite jersey?.. drop a line in the comments section below and set us straight.