Everything old is new again
The Thunder’s new look is a lot like its old look.
The Thunder’s new look is a lot like its old look.
And that’s by design. The franchise unveiled its first sets of Nike uniforms on Wednesday, and the white and blue Oklahoma City uniforms are strikingly similar to the adidas uniforms the team has worn since it relocated from Seattle nine years ago.
“They’ve been our traditional uniforms since day one, since 2008,” said Dan Mahoney, the Thunder’s vice president for broadcasting and corporate communications. “Heading into our 10th season, we would see no reason to have a massive overhaul of our look.”
There’s a new “OKC” at the front of the waistband on both the white and blue shorts. Otherwise, the look of the new uniforms – which will be available for fan purchase on Sept. 29 – is largely the same.
The Thunder’s merchandise is among the best-selling in the NBA. In the most recent figures released by the league, for April through June of this year, Oklahoma City’s merchandise sales at NBAStore.com ranked seventh.
Given that – and the team’s on-court success – there’s not much reason to alter the look.
The bigger changes are in terminology and technology. Nike and the NBA are doing away with “home” and “road” uniform distinctions. The Thunder will have the option of wearing its white uniforms (now labeled the “Association” edition) or blue (“Icon” edition) uniforms at home.
And the biggest alteration, Mahoney said, is in the technology behind the uniforms, which he said is geared toward improved freedom of movement and player performance.
Nike, entering the first season as the league’s
new apparel provider, says its new uniforms wick sweat 30 percent faster than the previous uniforms from adidas. They’re made with “Alpha Yarns and recycled polyester,” according to Nike, and each jersey represents about 20 recycled plastic bottles.
“When you feel the two, it’s such a difference in the current jerseys, in terms of how light they are,” Mahoney said. “We think the players will respond very well to it.”
Online, many fans responded with shrugs to the new look, given its similarity to the old one.
But those seeking change will have their day.
Every NBA team will have at least two alternate jerseys unveiled after the season starts. OKC will get two, and though there’s no release date set for their arrival, they’ll likely both be unveiled by November or December, Mahoney said.
The two new looks will replace the sleeved white and “sunset” alternate uniforms the Thunder wore last season.
Without giving away the new-look alternates, Mahoney said “neither will be anything like the previous alternate uniforms.”
“We certainly understand and love that our fans are waiting for a new look on some of these things, especially the alternates,” Mahoney said.
“We think they’ll enjoy them once they’re able to be released. But as far as our iconic white and blue uniforms, we saw no reason to change that.”