Nike unveils first NBA jerseys for the 2017-18 season

By

Olivier Guyot

Translated by
Susan Spies

Published
Jul 18, 2017

Nike's management has high hopes for this deal. In 2015, the Swoosh won the NBA equipment contract (formerly controlled by Adidas) for eight years, starting with the 2017-18 season. The deal marked a major investment, but one that would cement its position as the leading basketball brand with its Nike and Jordan lines.

Nike has unveiled the first jerseys of this collaboration. The brand has optimized "the weight, fit and construction of the uniforms."  In its release, Nike explained: "NBA players, including members of last summer’s gold medal-winning USA Basketball team, tested early versions of the uniforms and provided specific feedback that prompted Nike to further evolve the designs in ways that included moving the armhole, neck and side seams to eliminate distractions for athletes."   The jerseys are made of a technical material consisting of textile fibers and recycled polyester.

And to take advantage of this partnership, Nike and the NBA teams have also revised the traditional approach of creating a set of jerseys. Gone is the “Home” and “Road” versions. Instead, each team will now have a set of four jerseys, or what are being called “editions.”

“The first two editions of the NBA uniforms, which will be introduced by teams this summer and will make their on-court debut at the start of the season, are the Association and Icon editions,” explained Nike in its statement. “The two remaining core uniforms, inspired by the mindset of the NBA athlete and the communities that support their teams through thick and thin, respectively, will be revealed in the coming months.”

As a bonus, Nike designers have devised "Classic" versions for eight flagship teams, which “celebrates some of the most iconic uniforms in league history and can be worn at each team’s discretion.” This will be a big boost to merchandising and the range of products the NBA franchises can offer fans.

For its last fiscal year, closed at the end of May, Nike saw its basketball division register a 6% decline compared to the previous year, but it still brought in $1.292 billion in sales. Jordan grew by 13%, earning 3.099 billion dollars in sales.