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City Edition uniforms: Teams league-wide unveil new looks for 2018-19

Across the NBA, the City Edition uniforms for the 2018-19 season are coming into view for fans. Some are updates of what teams wore a season ago, while others are a completely new look. Here’s what teams will be sporting on City Edition nights this season …

* 2018-19 City Edition uniforms: Eastern Conference | Western Conference

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LOS ANGELES LAKERS

As one of the most iconic players in both NBA and team history, Magic Johnson has lent his skill to the Lakers’ City Edition uniforms.

Per the Lakers: “Through his electrifying playmaking and personality, Magic Johnson exemplified what it meant to be a Laker during the Showtime era. The NBA legend lends his magic touch and eye for detail to Nike to help create the latest Lakers City Edition jersey.

DALLAS MAVERICKS

The Mavericks chose to focus this year’s City Edition uniform around a “True Maverick” theme, meant to represent the rebirth of the franchise around a new roster featuring prize rookie Luka Doncic.

INDIANA PACERS

The Pacers’ City Edition uniforms are focused on speed. The all-caps “PACERS” font and the slogan “Always Lead” highlight the gray and gold uniform.

CLEVELAND CAVALIERS

The Cavaliers throw it back to 1994 with their City Edition uniforms. The orange and blue are similar to the colors worn by the team when they returned to downtown Cleveland.

MIAMI HEAT

The Heat had one of the more popular City Edition uniforms in 2017-18 with their “Vice” uniform look, albeit with a new name. Called the “Vice Nights” uniform by the team, the new look features the classic Heat silhouette from 1988 colored in laser fuchsia and blue gale. It is meant to serve as a homage to both the history of the team and the city in the 1980s.

Miami will wear its “Vice Nights” look 15 times this season, with the first game coming on Nov. 9 against the Indiana Pacers.

MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES

The Grizzlies’ City Edition uniform pays homage to the city’s tradition as a destination for music, wrestling and basketball. The ‘Main Event’ uniform will be worn by the Grizzlies for six games this season.

PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS

A blaze of red highlights the Blazers new City Edition uniforms.

MILWAUKEE BUCKS

With a nod to their MECCA era that represented Milwaukee to many and keyed one of the team’s most successful eras, the Bucks unveiled their City Edition uniforms for 2018-19. A tasteful combination of yellow, blue and green mark the Bucks’ new uniforms this season.

Milwaukee is slated to play in its City Edition uniforms 12 times this season, with the first game coming on Nov. 19 at home against the Denver Nuggets.

DENVER NUGGETS

Denver opted to throw back to the uniforms the team wore from 1981-82 to 1992-93, famous for their “rainbow skyline” popularized by the teams of Alex English, Fat Lever and other early 1980s Nuggets icons.

Per the Nuggets, the team will wear the City Edition uniforms seven times this season, with the first game coming on Nov. 13.

WASHINGTON WIZARDS

The Wizards made a pair of announcements on Nov. 2 with their jerseys in mind. First, they revealed their new jersey sponsor, the insurance company Geico. Second, they revealed their City Edition uniforms, which is designed to pay tribute to an iconic area of Washington, D.C. — the National Mall.

Here’s more from the Wizards’ website about the City Edition uniforms:

The 2018-19 City Edition is designed to celebrate the one-of-a kind scene that is Washington D.C.’s National Mall at night. In addition to the silhouette of the Washington Monument in marble up the uniform’s sides, the D.C. flag is also featured on the belt of the shorts.

The Wizards plan to wear the City Edition uniforms 19 times this season, with the first game coming on Nov. 16 against the Brooklyn Nets.

DETROIT PISTONS

The Pistons will once again sport the “Motor City” look that has been in their uniform mix for several seasons. However, there are some changes to the colors in the uniform — specifically some bold, highway-like striping down the middle of the jersey. In addition, the City Edition uniforms have a black base with gray accents.

MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES

A music icon plays a key role in the Timberwolves’ City Edition uniforms for 2018-19 as Prince serves as the inspiration for their new look. The team worked with Prince’s estate, which incorporates multiple references to the legacy of Prince. From the font — which is reminiscent of the 1980s Prince era — to the tonal purple most closely associated with Prince, the uniform speaks of his legacy and bond with the state.

Here’s more from the Wolves’ release on the uniforms:

The actual jersey design incorporates multiple references to the legacy of Prince. The left vent on the jersey bears a paisley leaf in tribute to Prince’s creative sanctuary – Paisley Park. The right shoulder pattern honors the iconic jacket Prince wore when performing “Purple Rain”. The “MPLS” on the left leg symbolizes the well-known Minneapolis Sound that Prince ushered in during the late 1970s. The Timberwolves partial logos on the right leg and on the belt buckle are in tonal purple – the regal color most closely associated with Prince. Tying it all together is the distinctive font, which is reminiscent of the 1980s Prince era.

The Wolves are set to wear the City Edition uniforms eight times this season, starting with a Nov. 16 home game against the Portland Trail Blazers.

OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER

The Thunder have a City Edition look that honors the state’s Native American heritage. The uniforms are turquoise, which represents the 11th anniversary stone and the native color of friendship. Oklahoma City is in the midst of its 11th season in the state. The “OKC” on the front of the jersey pays homage to the Four Corners as well.

Here’s more from the Thunder’s release on the uniforms:

The lead design element of the uniform is turquoise, representing the 11th anniversary stone and the native color of friendship. It also coincides with the Thunder’s 11th season. Interlocking letters create “OKC” on the jersey’s chest, with separate shapes blending into one another to create one shape. Boldly set, the belt pattern on the shorts is derived from a traditional sash and represents the various individual communities expanding outward, pointing toward and blending with each other. Encompassed by the Four Corners, all shapes point inward to gather at OKC. The short vent graphic is inspired by the turtle shell, the circle symbolizes the Earth and recognizes the tribes that line the outside. Primary stripe elements point east to welcome the rising sun and guide the way.

The Thunder plan to wear the uniforms at least six times at home this season, with the first date coming on Nov. 14 against the New York Knicks.

BROOKLYN NETS

The Nets are honoring cultural diversity, swagger and a Brooklyn icon with their new 2018-19 City Edition uniform.

The uniform’s multi-color “Brooklyn Camo” pattern represents the cultural diversity in the borough, which is home to people of all races, religions, and ethnicities. The new uni also pays homage to Brooklyn icon Christopher “Biggie” Wallace with their Biggie-inspired jersey.

PHILADELPHIA 76ERS

The Philadelphia 76ers unveiled their 2018-19 City Edition uniform, presented in partnership with Official Jersey Patch Sponsor StubHub. The 2018-19 City Edition uniform celebrates Philadelphia’s rich history of the challenger’s mentality that inspired the “Rocky” and “Creed” films.

Here’s more from the Sixers’ release on the uniforms:

The uniform’s core displays the iconic circle of 13 stars derived from the boxing ring where Rocky Balboa first squared off against Apollo Creed, while the gray sweatsuit-textured base was influenced by both Adonis Creed’s and Rocky’s legendary training scenes throughout the streets of Philadelphia. The crisp blue, red and white waistband trim on the shorts is inspired by Rocky’s championship belt. Meanwhile, the phrase “PHILADELPHIA, USA,” is embroidered on the lower left hem of the jersey as a nod to the city’s fans, heart and determination.

CHARLOTTE HORNETS

As for the Hornets, they are sticking with the “Buzz City” look they sported last season for their City Edition uniforms. Slight tweaks to the design have been made in terms of the chest plate on the uniform, the color of player numbers and more.

The Hornets plan to wear the uniforms for 10 home games this season and for seven road games.

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