Wizards star has harsh words for new NBA jerseys

Since Nike took over as the NBA's "oncourt apparel provider," the number of new jersey designs has skyrocketed. Every team gets an annual "city edition" jersey, but there's a large number of possible varieties, including "association edition," "icon edition," "statement edition" and "classic edition." 

That may drive apparel sales, but it doesn't help continuity.

The NBA and Nike have chosen variety over consistency, which Kuzma criticized, talking about the loss of brand identity. Sales data from the 2022 offseason back up his contention that having new jerseys every year can be counterproductive.

The Chicago Bulls are the leading team in apparel sales in more than half of the U.S. stats, but that's primarily due to their old jerseys from the 1990s. Scottie Pippen, Michael Jordan and Dennis Rodman are all in the top 10 of individual player jersey sales, along with Vince Carter, Allen Iverson, Penny Hardaway and Kobe Bryant — all designs that are at least 20 years old.

Perhaps there's enough appetite for different editions that sales are helped in the aggregate, but to a fan casually watching a midseason game, it can be confusing to see the Detroit Pitons wearing green, the San Antonio Spurs in turquoise or the Utah Jazz wearing desert colors. Design aside, you want fans to be able to see who is playing.

Nike's deal runs through next season, so the constant jersey revisions will likely continue, and the jersey "nostalgia," as Kuzma says, will continue to decline.