Which NBA Team Has The Best City Jersey?

The NBA has released all 30 NBA City Edition jerseys for the 2020-21 season.

Which gives us the perfect opportunity to judge all of these looks from worst to best. Because there are certainly some bad ones, but there are also some great ones.

Let’s start at the bottom shall we?

 

Never Ever Wear These

New York Knicks

It’s the Knicks, what did we expect? It’s a shame we have to see Obi Toppin wear this. This is one of the last jerseys to make it’s presence known but it feels more like the Knicks procrastinated till the last second and then said screw it and threw a few different half-assed ideas onto this “jersey” and we got left with, this, a mess.

Detroit Pistons

Wait, Detroit is known as the “Motor City” I never knew… It’s definitely not over used. I don’t understand why Detroit stuck to this look and design. I understand that their simple usual look and color scheme is iconic, but be creative and bring back the Grant Hill, 90’s teal look.

Just saying this jersey is INSANELY better than writing down your entire address.

Philadelphia 76ers

The moment these jerseys assaulted my retna’s I hated them. It feels like the 76ers tried to copy the Nuggets rainbow mountain look and failed miserably.

Instead we are left with a shallow outline of Mr. Rogers Neighborhood and the entire word Philadelphia stretched on the bottom of it. I’m sorry but Philadelphia is too long of a word to have on an entire jersey. Leave it as Phila or Philly like they usually do.

It’s too bad James Harden is going to have to wear these.

 

Bad, But Not Horrible

Boston Celtics

The Celtics tried to make their championship banners into a jersey. News Flash. There is a reason that banner’s are designed to be banners and jerseys are designed to be jerseys.

What I will say is that the Celtics are in a tough spot. Their uniform is so simple and iconic that really all you can do is change the colors around a little bit between white, green and black without ruffling feathers.

Still it’s a little too simple, and the whole having both the words Boston and Celtics above the number is unsettling.

But at least it’s not grey.

Brooklyn Nets

I’m sorry but I have to disagree with KD here, no you do not look good. Maybe I don’t have an eye for art or whatever but I just don’t love these.

My apologies to Jean-Michael Basquiat but this is the art I just don’t understand. Where it looks like messy painting. And yet somehow people can see the symbolism about how love is eternal in these messy stripes.

As Indiana Jones would say “It belongs in a museum” not on a basketball court.

And that’s too bad because the Nets had one of the better looks last year with the “Bed-Stuy” uni’s.

 

Meh

Los Angeles Clippers

My biggest issue with the Clippers city jerseys, they didn’t even try. They just swapped last years white edition to black. Zero changes otherwise.

And to be honest I didn’t love last years version. This is more an indictment on the fact that they did the absolute bare minimum here rather than get creative. Yawn.

Washington Wizards

I don’t hate the design, but we have seen it before and why does it have to be grey?

Grey is boring, it doesn’t pop, it’s not exciting.

And it feels like the Wizards just go back and forth between the DC jumping for the ball logo and writing “The District” across the front for their alternates. I’ve seen this jersey before and now it’s on grey. the definition of meh.

Milwaukee Bucks

It’s blue. What’s the big deal? This is how you’re trying to keep Giannis? It feels like the harder the Bucks try and appease Giannis, the more they push him away.

What about this jersey is appealing? That it’s two different shades of blue for a team that has been predominately green?

Even at a home game, this would make you stick out like a sore thumb. Bring back the purple ones you cowards.

Oklahoma City Thunder

I will say, the Love’s sponsor patch does make this jersey feel very Oklahoma-ish.

Can’t wait for the Sioux Falls Heat and Iowa Wolves to be sponsored by Casey’s or the Maine Red Claws sponsored by Cumberland Farms.

This is as boring as it gets for me. Nothing slaps me in the face and says wow about this jersey. OKC use to have cool alternates when KD was there but now it’s gotten stale.

Be bold, ruffle some feathers and use the Super Sonics color scheme, that would be sweet.

Orlando Magic

It’s bold in the fact that it’s a complete 180 degree shift from their usual color scheme of black and blue, but why orange?

I’m sure I am missing something about the city of Orlando itself but for the life of me I can’t figure out why it’s orange. Are they celebrating the life and achievements of Donald Duck?

I base my judgements on the thought of “If I were a fan of this team, would this jersey make me want to buy one?” And this is a big no, I do not want to be walking around with orange pinstripes.

Give us back the Tracy McGrady era Magic jerseys with the stars imprinted on the uniform itself.

Now THAT I am spending money on.

 

Decent, Not Good, But Not Bad, I Sort of Like It

Memphis Grizzlies

The Grizzlies already have fire alternates with the throwback Vancouver look and they sort of stick to that here which is wise.

Memphis is in a tough spot, like I said they’re normal alternates are so fantastic already it’s hard to out do them. But these are fine. Are they over the top incredible? Nope. But they will work nicely.

Houston Rockets

I don’t quite understand why they went with the powder blue look here. It’s not retro nor has it ever really been part of their color scheme.

They’ve done navy blue before but not this.

Not sure if this was suppose to shock and wow us that they went so hard against the usual red/white/black and sometimes yellow but it sort of missed the mark for me in terms of being really good.

Atlanta Hawks

I appreciate the social awareness that this jersey is bringing to the table. But in terms of an actual jersey it’s decent but not fantastic. It’s not so over the top that it’s an eye sore but it’s also sort of plain which is fine.

On a side note, I very much appreciate the Hawks moving away from their neon, triangle pattern look back to red and yellow and a simple traditional jersey.

Love the Hawks next year.

Minnesota Timberwolves

It very much just sort of exists. I love black with the neon green accent. Big fan of that. But don’t let your entire jersey only become that!

The perfect jersey is one that has the KG era trees on the the sleeves and collar but in neon green. Boom, Instant favorite.

How can I come up with this in 5 minutes but people who’s job it is can only come up with this?

Cleveland Cavaliers

It’s okay. I know the point of it, is that the different fonts for the letters that spell out Cleveland are all from different bands in the rock and roll hall of fame.

Which is a great touch and nod to the city of Cleveland itself. Great idea.

But it’s just not the jersey I’m going to pick every time for the Cavs to wear in 2K. Then again if I’m ever picking the Cavs in 2K, what am I doing?

Sacramento Kings

It’s decent but not great. Again it’s nothing great that makes you want to immediately go out and buy one.

I like the checker board pattern on the side, harking back to the Chris Webber, Jason Williams days. But much like the Kings it just sort of exists.

 

Solid Good, Actually a Good Job

Charlotte Hornets

I actually had these lower but the more I look at it, the more I sort of like it.

The mint color threw me off, because it’s close to the normal electric blue that the Hornets have anyways but not quite it.

But the more I looked at these uni’s on actual players themselves, and saw the court design that will go with these uni’s, it eventually won me over.

These are good, and we are officially now in the territory of, if I were a fan of this team, I’d consider buying it.

Dallas Mavericks

I am a big fan of the simple jerseys with gold trim as you will see in the next one as well.

I like this one, I imagine Luka Doncic dropping 35 a night with these on and it makes me happy. Classy and elegant. The wing like design on the side of the jersey is sort of odd, without that, maybe it’s higher.

Toronto Raptors

Like I said before I like the gold accent to jerseys.

This is probably however more of a nod towards Drake than what actually looks good. To which I say, we get it, Drake is a fan.

But I like the font that they went with to spell Toronto, kind of a call back to the 90’s with the cartoon dinosaur look.

It’s clean, and has a little bit of retro in it, I am a fan of all of those elements.

Denver Nuggets

Like with Memphis before, if you have a fire, go to retro look, then just simply mold around it, don’t change. That is what Denver has with the mountains and rainbow look.

This year they went with what is suppose to be a sunset. Which looks good enough. The only issue is, I know what it is suppose to look like.

And while I know you have to change it up year to year, it’s hard to look at this one, and then look at the sunset one and say, yeah this years is better.

Stick with the rainbow Denver, trust me.

Chicago Bulls

What I like about this one is that for jerseys that are suppose to model the city in which these teams play for this one slaps me in the face that it is Chicago.

It just looks so incredibly “Chicago” to me. So kudos to the Bulls for actually being able to pull that off.

Some of these uni’s provide retro looking fan service, which I am obviously all about, but this one actually tells me without having to read the name of the city where it’s from.

Miami Heat

I’ve seen mixed reviews about this version for the Heat. They struck gold with their Miami Vice look but in having to change it every year maybe have run out of options.

However with that said, I will never hate the Miami vice color scheme and look. I will always appreciate it and I appreciate this jersey.

 

Very Good, Just Not Elite

Golden State Warriors

An ode to the “We Believe” Warriors. I would have this jersey in the elite category except for one thing.

They did this two years too late.

The Warriors now technically play in San Francisco in their new arena. They ditched the actual city of Oakland and Oracle Arena. Had they worn these as a thank you to the city of Oakland in the final year they were there, then it’s perfect.

Now it’s almost a tease to an ex. It’s nice, but it also makes you pull up sad memories.

Otherwise, keep using this retro color scheme for alternates, I love it.

Indiana Pacers

Once again a throwback to a simpler time. I always loved the pinstripe look for Indiana and I am glad they are going back to it as an alternate.

Maybe down the road it can become more permanent of a fixture on the uniform but for now I like it being an alternate to slowly bring it back.

Portland Trailblazers

I am not sure why I like this one as much as I do.

There is no throwback appeal to it, but also nothing that makes me really think of Portland or Oregon itself for that matter. But yet here we are.

Perhaps that is the key to a really good jersey, that you could slap any city name onto this bad boy and it’s good.

New Orleans Pelicans

For some reason I have seen this jersey get bad reviews from fans and for the life of me I have no idea how.

I love, love, love this look. Perhaps people don’t like it because it doesn’t have any words on it. But I would also then point to the Pistons terrible jersey and say words don’t make a jersey great.

Perhaps I like it because it’s one of those that if you know, you just know. The Fleur de Lis is a New Orleans and French symbol that tells you who’s city it’s for without actually spelling it out.

Not to mention, Zion is going to look incredible in this. A+ in my book by the Pelicans.

Utah Jazz

Utah stumbled upon a fantastic jersey a couple of years ago. Taking their landscape colors and putting it onto their uniform.

Add into that they even change their court and it’s a magnificent look that takes over what is sort of a bland normal uniform.

This is a great slight change to that look, simply incorporating black into it as well, giving it a darker look.

Next year however try and mix in the retro, Stockton-Malone era purple/blue look into this. Imagine these color layers from a deep purple to a light blue? Oh man… That would be elite.

The Elite’s

Phoenix Suns

The Suns do not do much right, let alone at an elite level but they did that here.

These jerseys are fantastic. As you maybe have figured out I am all about the rainbow, color shade combo on these uniforms. Between Denver and Utah, Phoenix finally got on board and did a magnificent job with this.

The Suns have not had a good uniform since the 90’s, so I am glad to see that they finally, put one out there that will now be worth people’s money.

With Chris Paul in the mix, Phoenix could be a low key, interesting team next year, and now they will be looking sharp as well.

Los Angeles Lakers

Wow. This is cream of the crop stuff here.

Modern Lakers logo, with the retro, Minneapolis colors? Oh man.

I wonder what sells out first for Christmas, the Lebron version of this jersey or the next restock of PS5’s?

It’s an honest questions because these are absolutely fire. The Lakers won the championship last year and then came right back and won the City jersey’s.

San Antonio Spurs

However, my true winner are these.

For years, fans have been begging for the Spurs to come back to their 90’s colors for an alternate jersey. And after years of jersey’s with just a giant spur on the chest, or camo colored, or heck both!

The Spurs finally gave us what we wants. And with a great font spelling out San Antonio.

It’s a perfect blend of retro fan service, a little bit of new and keeping it traditional all in one.

A round of applause for the Spurs they absolutely nailed this one.