Leaked NBA City Edition jersey designs fall flat

Instead of focusing on quality over quantity, Nike seems committed to introducing new uniforms for each team every season. After a while, the creative well starts to run dry for designers, who seem to have run out of ideas.

Take, for instance, the wildly popular "Vice" series of designs for the Miami Heat, which when it first came out in the 2017-18 season, featured a stunning array of gale blue, fuchsia and black. The jerseys paid homage to the popular 1980s television series "Miami Vice" that has become synonymous with the city. 

Since jersey designs only have a one-season lifespan, Nike modified a jersey that was already perfect in the eyes of many fans. Over the course of the five-season run of the jersey, the design worsened until it was discontinued following the 2020-21 season.

This brings us to this season's City Edition jerseys. Some are truly awful, especially the Denver Nuggets version. On the front, it features a large yellow "5280" — a reference to Denver being the Mile High City — that is just as big as the player number, which is tucked away in the top right. 

Besides the obvious confusion of seeing five or six numbers on a jersey, the design lacks creativity beyond that and has a simple color scheme.

The Memphis Grizzlies jersey also features a questionable design. It features a plain black-and-white color scheme and an asymmetrical spelling of "MEM" using three lines for each letter. At first glance, it's difficult to tell if this jersey even belongs to the Grizzlies at all.

The Indiana Pacers City Edition jersey stands out as one of the more baffling designs. This jersey features a color combination of teal and bright yellow, along with a spray paint style along the side, "Indy" and the player's number. Nothing about this jersey evokes the city of Indianapolis or the team identity.

You can look at the full list of City Edition designs here  — if you dare — and make your own call.