Nike and the NBA are completely changing how jerseys work and it sounds awesome

Nike is taking over as the exclusive on-court uniform and apparel brand of the NBA this upcoming season, and they’ve dreamed up sweeping changes to how jerseys work in the league. The NBA is going to look very different next season in what looks like an interesting re-imagining of uniforms design and usage.

Nike gave a fascinating glimpse into what they’re working on with Las Vegas Summer League wrapped up. They’re taking an entirely new approach to how uniforms function.

Home and road jerseys are vanquished, instead each team having four uniforms as an assortment to choose from. One is considered the “association edition” described as paying homage to the league and the traditional white uniform for home teams. Next is the “icon” edition, which was inspired by the “rich heritage and iconic identity” of the franchise. It’s described like any traditional road jersey, focused on a team’s secondary color as the base.

The third “athlete’s mindset” and fourth “the community” leave it up to imagination for now, with a further reveal in the coming months. If Kobe, the Los Angeles Lakers and Nike aren’t making #MambaMentality jerseys for the purple and gold, somebody get this blog post in front of the right eyes. Please.

Further adding to the twist, each team will now designate a single jersey as their primary home uniform. They can pick from any four of the editions being introduced. The road team now has the option to pick from any of their four jerseys, so long as it contrasts with the home team.

Nike dropped the first look, presenting the sharpened up new look Golden State Warriors jersey — which isn’t listed specifically as such but likely is the “association” uniform.

And for comparison’s sake, here’s a side-by-side with an authentic Adidas Warriors home jersey:

You can see the little details in the design and structure that evolve the jersey to the next level. Further, there will be eight classic jerseys released sometime in the fall that can be worn by those teams at any time.

The Kings also dropped a nice glimpse of the new design:

They’ll also be overhauling socks and tights, which makes you wonder what other accessories might end up on the table from Nike. The NBA’s getting a visual overhaul next season that might be way more noticeable than you’d think.

Also, Nike right now: