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Jerseys.....whether football or basketball, soccer or hockey, make the game. However in the D-League, because of its lack of decent exposure can go unnoticed. I will countdown the leagues best jerseys in two parts. This first article will cover the no. 22 through no. 11 jerseys.
No. 22- Oklahoma City Blue (Oklahoma City Thunder)
If you put the Oklahoma City Blue alongside the Oklahoma City Thunder you most likely won’t be able to tell the difference. Affiliates are supposed to reflect their affiliates, but these look way too similar. However, their warm-up gear is electric and would suggest they use that logo for their jerseys.
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No. 21- Sioux Fall Skyforce (Miami Heat)
The Skyforce comes in a No. 21 for the same reason the OKC Blue did. They resemble the Heat’s jersey a lot. The little heat fling on the end of the E adds some flair, but I would suggest putting a more forceful type of graphic to replace the fire.
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No. 20- Austin Spurs (San Antonio Spurs)
Along with the unoriginal name, the Austin Spurs lacks creativity. The spur adds a nice touch to the uniform and their road unis are absolutely awesomely decked out in camouflage, but other than that the uniforms are pretty lackluster.
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No. 19- Iowa Energy (Memphis Grizzlies)
Iowa Energy’s uniforms lack much energy. The lettering that resembles the Memphis Grizzlies however is one of my favorites. Their mascot though......a really cool looking dude in the jersey.
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No. 18- Long Island Nets (Brooklyn Nets)
The Long Island Nets pay homage to their NBA affiliate in the Brooklyn Nets by having their logo on the bottom of their shorts. It’s a nice touch, but it looks out of place given the colors of the overall uniform matching the logo. Still a good idea to add though.
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No. 17-Westchester Knicks (New York Knicks)
The Westchester Knicks have a different style of uniforms, with the number on top and name on the bottom. The actual name looks like a kid drew the design, but the switcharoo of the numbers and name makes the design get a pass.
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No. 16- Grand Rapids Drive (Detroit Pistons)
I have always been a fan of the Pistons jerseys, and their affiliate looks like it. It does lack in creativity, but the red and blue give the uniform a cool vibe, along with the word drive at the top and the Pistons logo perfectly matching on the bottom of the shorts.
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No. 15- Maine Red Claws (Boston Celtics)
Pretty awesome to see a team in Maine represent a team in the Celtics. You can see the correlation in the uniform, from the red that represents the name and the green trimming around the letters could possibly represent the Celtic green. The uniform does look like a certain holiday coming up in 2 weeks, but it’s still a neat uniform.
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No. 14- Delaware 87ers (Philadelphia 76ers)
The Delaware 87ers doesn’t sound as smooth as the 76ers, but their unis are. The sevens is a unique name to put on the front. It works. It’s different.
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No. 13- Northern Arizona Suns (Phoenix Suns)
The NAZ shows their pride for the sun in their uniforms. The orange flair that runs throughout the uniform and on the letters is bright to say the least. The orange NAZ letters that run across the front of the jersey reflects an international type of jersey.
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No. 12- Salt Lake City Stars (Utah Jazz)
The Salt Lake City Stars are the team who actually reflects their name in their jerseys. The stars could have a little more to it, but nonetheless the uniforms express their name and they do a great job implementing that in their uniforms.
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No. 11- Windy City Bulls (Chicago Bulls)
To round out the first 11, the Windy City Bulls come in at No. 11. The Chicago Bulls are by far a classic team with classic history with a classic uniform. The Windy City Bulls have uniforms to match, but they have uniforms that add their own flair. The sharp arch and smaller lettering gives the uniform a modern look and makes it look like the wind is blowing the words back.
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The top 10 jerseys will be announced in a future article. These jerseys display outstanding graphics and show the teams spirit towards the D-League. Plus, these upcoming jerseys show Ridiculous Upside.