It’s grow to be a convention that every yr, Nike’s new Celtics Metropolis Version jersey will leak earlier than they’re formally introduced, and every year I can be wholeheartedly offended.
The yr 2024 is not any completely different, regardless of my best optimism that possibly, simply possibly, Nike would flip to the nice Pete Rogers to deal with the duty.
As a substitute, Tuesday afternoon served as the primary crimson flag for the 2024-25 season, as leaked designs of Boston’s new alternate jersey surfaced on-line.
Nike actually outdid themselves right here with the brand new money seize. This yr, the preventing champion (I’d by no means say defending champion, out of respect for Joe Mazzulla) Celtics can be compelled to put on these neon-lettered uniforms a minimum of thrice (the league’s minimal for the Metropolis uniforms).
These actually appear like knockoffs that Goal sells for $20.
The black base is new from final yr, whereas the aspect design seems to be the identical, with the curve now being lime inexperienced moderately than a wood colour.
When the NBA formally launched the 2023-24 slate of alternate uniforms final November, they pointed to every workforce’s or metropolis’s historical past as inspiration for the designs.
“The Nike NBA Metropolis Version platform options strong, hyperlocal tales from every of our NBA groups, making a tapestry of the historical past of our recreation, its groups and the cities that help them,” mentioned Christopher Area, Head of On-Court docket and Model Partnerships on the NBA.
Do these jerseys have something to do with Boston or the Celtics as a corporation?
Nope, not even shut.
The closest factor we’ve seen to this was the 2021 “Earned Version” jerseys — or the Earth Day uniforms, as many referred to as them.
I get it.
Some individuals do like change and so they like new inventive designs. That’s all good and advantageous, however essentially the most offensive side of that is that, once more, Pete Rogers has designed numerous Celtics jerseys which are all higher than what Nike has and continues to place out.
Listed here are 5 random designs from Pete.
Even when the 5 I picked aren’t your cup of tea, there are over 100 extra jersey mockups on his Twitter/X web page and he has an entire store the place you should buy his designs on-line. Nike might’ve picked from any of those however didn’t, and that’s unbelievably lame.
In case you actually need your day ruined, take into consideration the matching courtroom that Boston will play its “NBA Cup” video games on this fall.