NBA: Nike to get rid of sleeved jerseys next season—report
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) dons the team’s alternative sleeved uniform. AP
The sleeved jersey trend in the NBA has received mixed reviews from players and fans alike, ever since it first came to the league in 2013.
With Nike taking over the reigns from its rival Adidas as the official uniform manufacturer for the league next season, several reports are now claiming that the sleeved-jersey era might soon be coming to an end.
As per reports from Paul Lucas of Uni-Watch, the sporting giant is heavily considering getting rid of the often-criticized uniforms which was strongly pushed by Adidas during its 11-year NBA partnership.
“Nike, meanwhile, is expected to present its initial NBA jersey designs to retailers beginning this week,” the report revealed. “The company said it doesn’t plan to produce sleeved jerseys, a style debuted by Adidas in 2013 that received mixed reviews from players and fans.”
Several high-profile players have voiced out their annoyance over the constrictive apparel in the past, perhaps none bigger than LeBron James who famously ripped out his sleeves in-game, after claiming it hindered his shooting form.
Also, the sleeved jerseys, which can be likened to warmers worn by players before their actual games, do not appear to be popular among fans and were not selling as well as Adidas and the league had hoped they would.
Three years after its initial release, more than half of NBA teams currently have at least one sleeved alternate jersey in their repertoire.
Even the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers donned the unorthodox looking basketball gear during last year’s NBA finals. Khristian Ibarrola
