Ranking the NBA's 2021-22 City Edition jerseys
The NBA unveiled a fresh batch of City Edition jerseys in conjunction with the league's diamond 75th anniversary on Monday.
Like with last year's submissions, teams designed jerseys intended to reflect their city and the history of their organization.
Here are the 30 City Edition offerings for the 2021-22 campaign, ranked from worst to best:
30. Oklahoma City Thunder
The all-white uniform represents how the Thunder are "still writing their history." Truthfully, it looks like they're still writing their city jersey plans. This outfit is as bad as Oklahoma City's on-court product.
29. New Orleans Pelicans
If you squint hard enough, there's practically no difference between the Pelicans' white, Mardi Gras-themed city jerseys and their home uniforms. With only an eight-year history, what other options were there?
28. Orlando Magic
Now you can celebrate Halloween every day of the year with this festive offering from the Magic. Trick or treat, smell my feet, we are very easy to beat. When somebody asks what you're dressed up as, just lie and tell them you're an NBA team. They might believe you.
27. Golden State Warriors
This is a bit boring, isn't it? Regardless, the Warriors' City Edition jersey features many details including a hidden drop of water on the shorts meant to honor the Splash Bros. OK.
26. Portland Trail Blazers
The Blazers chose to honor their 1977 championship and the "City of Roses." Unfortunately, none of those symbols are very noticeable on the jersey itself.
25. Utah Jazz
If it ain't broke, don't fix it. The Jazz had the NBA's best record with last year's city jerseys, and kept them the same this go-around. Much like Utah's roster, this uniform is running it back, for better or for worse.
24. Detroit Pistons
How does an outfit with a flaming horse and giant lightning bolts still look so plain? Failing to feature any iconic teal from the Grant Hill days is as big of a "what-if" as his career.
23. New York Knicks
If last season's City Edition look represents a benchmark, the Knicks have made significant strides, even if this one is a bit drab.
22. Boston Celtics
Owners of one of the sports' most iconic strips, the Celtics kept it simple. They ran with a familiar color scheme highlighted by a shamrock for each of the team's 17 championships and the leprechaun fella that Kyrie Irving famously trampled.
21. Phoenix Suns
In what is an exact remake of last season's City Edition jersey, the purple-to-orange gradient and "The Valley" moniker are back. It's fine.
20. Washington Wizards
This plain, yet inoffensive contribution from the Wizards pays tribute to the franchise's six-decade history and some of its noteworthy stars, which presumably doesn't include Kwame Brown.
19. Miami Heat
A pastiche of fonts from previous Heat shirts forms a ransom-note-like look. Is somebody on Erik Spoelstra's roster being held captive, and why is it Udonis Haslem?
18. Memphis Grizzlies
With only a 25-year history, Memphis' city jersey looks quite a bit like its actual jersey. That is, with the exception of the large and intimidating grizzly bear on the shorts that somewhat resembles Jonas Valanciunas.
17. Indiana Pacers
The Pacers have combined the past, present, and future with a jersey that celebrates the team's three ABA titles. The "Boom Baby" inscription pays tribute to former player and announcer Bobby "Slick" Leonard, who passed away in April.
16. Sacramento Kings
The Kings have opted to blend "elements from some of our most significant eras," which one would have to assume doesn't include the current 15-year playoff drought. The script lettering is a nod to former venues in Rochester and Kansas City.
15. Houston Rockets
These pinstriped uniforms largely resemble the early 2000s while failing to truly showcase the team's two championships of the mid-'90s. You'd think the Rockets would want fans to remember the glory days with the team in the midst of a major rebuild.
14. Dallas Mavericks
What's the point of a throwback jersey if you're going to stick a social media hashtag on it? A "Mavs Fan For Life" will certainly enjoy this blast from the past, but the green and blue uniforms are a little dry.
13. Charlotte Hornets
Pinstripes, honeycombs, and purple and teal combine on the jersey this team claims is honoring "30 years of milestones." This is the only City Edition jersey to feature the Jordan branding and not a Nike swoosh, presumably because he owns the team.
12. Los Angeles Clippers
The Clippers had the near-impossible task of blending sunny Los Angeles with ... Buffalo. The color scheme is pleasing to the eye, and throwing one of these beauties on even made Kawhi Leonard smile.
11. Chicago Bulls
A not-so-subtle flex, this Bulls outfit has the team's six titles in eight years listed at the bottom. There's not much else to the rest of this jersey, much like the last 20-plus years of Chicago basketball.
10. Los Angeles Lakers
The iconic Lakers purple makes another appearance as the team pays tribute to the groundbreaking Minneapolis sides of the late 1960s, an era that many members of the current roster will recall fondly.
9. Cleveland Cavaliers
The original swashbuckling logo from 1970 returns. The Cavaliers pay homage to a 50-year history with three former emblems on the shorts in what might be this list's most abstract offering.
8. Denver Nuggets
Join the mile-high club with this jersey highlighted by the iconic rainbow Tetris pattern and the team's original mascot, Maxie the Miner, on the waistband.
7. Brooklyn Nets
This new jersey showcases an old jersey from New Jersey. Still with us? Brooklyn might go hard, but we'd much rather see Kevin Durant and James Harden rocking these simple, yet clean uniforms.
6. Minnesota Timberwolves
According to the Timberwolves' press release, the uniform is a tribute to some of the franchise's "greatest teams," of which there are few.
5. San Antonio Spurs
Why can't more NBA teams rock turquoise? This blast from the past is so nice, Gregg Popovich might accidentally confuse Jakob Poeltl for Tim Duncan. He'll certainly wish his team was as good as when the Spurs last donned this color scheme.
4. Toronto Raptors
If you're reading this, it's too late: the Raptors have once again opted for local crooner Drake's preferred pigments of gold and black, this time with the dinosaur looking back at the team's history, not forward. Unlike Certified Lover Boy, it's hard to find a fault with this release.
3. Milwaukee Bucks
The on-court product has been better for the Bucks, but nothing compares to the Milwaukee jerseys of old. Combining the signature deer with a splash of their early-2000s purple is the best decision the team has made since drafting Giannis Antetokounmpo.
2. Atlanta Hawks
This stylish shirt combines specific features from four different eras of Hawks basketball. While none of the original outfits blow you away, adding elements from each one creates a product as pleasing to the eye as a Trae Young-John Collins pick-and-roll.
1. Philadelphia 76ers
Paying homage to the Spectrum, home of the 76ers from 1967-96, this '70s throwback jersey is colorful, yet simple. Maybe Ben Simmons will want to return to the lineup just to play in them.