NBA All-Star Game uniforms pay tribute to New York City
Adidas, the official on-court apparel provider for the NBA, unveiled the uniforms and apparel Tuesday for the 64th NBA All-Star Game on Feb. 15, 2015 in New York City. Credit: NBA
The 2015 NBA All-Star uniforms were unveiled Tuesday and will feature a "clean, timeless design," and pay homage to the five boroughs of New York.
There is no "East" and "West" on the jerseys that were designed by adidas, like in previous All-Star Games. The Eastern Conference uniform will have black name lettering and blue numbers, while the West will have white name lettering and red numbers.
For the first-time in an NBA All-Star Game, player first and last names are featured on the back of the jersey.
Because Barclays Center will host All-Star Friday and Saturday events, while the game itself will be played at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, Feb. 15, New York will be represented on the jersey with a side panel of five stars for the five boroughs.
The Queens pattern was inspired by the orbit rings of the Unisphere that was built for the 1964 World's Fair. Staten Island is a wave pattern for its surrounding waters. Manhattan has a taxi-cab checkered pattern. For the Bronx, a vinyl record pattern was chosen to honor the birthplace of hip-hop, and Brooklyn, because of the brownstone houses and buildings there, will be represented by bricks.
"The NBA All-Star Game is a celebration of the host city and basketball culture, and this year we created our most detailed and sophisticated uniforms to date that pay homage to New York and All-Star weekend," said Chris Grancio, adidas global basketball general manager. "We took inspiration from all five boroughs, in addition to the rich basketball and cultural heritage of the city, to provide a memorable collection for players and fans."
Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.
