It’s develop into a convention that every yr, Nike’s new Celtics Metropolis Version jersey will leak earlier than they’re formally introduced, and annually I will likely be wholeheartedly offended.
The yr 2024 is not any totally 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 pink 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 combating champion (I’d by no means say defending champion, out of respect for Joe Mazzulla) Celtics will likely be pressured to put on these neon-lettered uniforms a minimum of thrice (the league’s minimal for the Metropolis uniforms).
These actually seem like knockoffs that Goal sells for $20.
The black base is new from final yr, whereas the facet design seems to be the identical, with the curve now being lime inexperienced somewhat 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 assist them,” mentioned Christopher Enviornment, Head of On-Courtroom 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 known as them.
I get it.
Some folks do like change they usually like new inventive designs. That’s all good and high-quality, however essentially the most offensive facet of that is that, once more, Pete Rogers has designed numerous Celtics jerseys which might be all higher than what Nike has and continues to place out.
Listed below 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 a complete store the place you should purchase his designs on-line. Nike might’ve picked from any of those however didn’t, and that’s unbelievably lame.
When you actually need your day ruined, take into consideration the matching courtroom that Boston will play its “NBA Cup” video games on this fall.