The NBA Christmas Day slate is always a gift, but the presence of a certain tradition has been missing from the holiday season in recent years: Christmas jerseys.
So, what happened?
The answer is simple: Nike took over the NBA’s uniform contract from Adidas in 2017 and did not continue the festive looks of its predecessor.
Well, humbug.
Despite its absence, Nike offers a variety of uniform combinations with its four jersey editions: Association, Icon, City and Statement.
Nike’s decision hasn’t stopped fans and players alike from missing the Yuletide attracts. In 2020, LeBron James, who will play on Christmas for the 16th season in a row, weighed in on the matter.
MAN i wish I walked into the locker room tomorrow and we had Christmas Day uniforms! It’s a MUST we bring those back @Nike @nikebasketball I’ve been seeing those Lakers 🧊 united over the airways. Sheesh!!!! 😱
— LeBron James (@KingJames) December 25, 2019
Nike, undeterred by the Los Angeles Lakers star’s plea, does not have a plan for the fad to return.
« We like the assortment we have now. The storytelling we’re able to tell is really robust, » Nike said, by ESPN’s Nick DePaula.
In the meantime, here’s look down memory (or candy cane) lane at the short-lived holiday ensembles:
2008-11: Snowflakes
It all began with a white snowflake around the logo on the front of teams’ jerseys. The league also made an effort to feature teams with primarily red and green colors.
2012: Big color
This monochromatic color scheme formally introduced the holiday trend on the 65th anniversary of Christmas Day NBA games.
2013: Big logo
The large, centered logo was intended to be the focal point, but the sleeves ended up being a major talking point. Although the uniforms were 26% lighter than the traditional NBA jersey, players claimed the extra fabric affected their shooting. The T-shirt jersey also made an appearance in the All-Star Game.
Overall, these were not received well by NBA Twitter, including Dallas Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki.
Call me old school but these jerseys with sleeves are awful…..
— Dirk Nowitzki (@swish41) December 25, 2013
