Lakers unveil new, Showtime-inspired Nike jerseys

The Los Angeles Lakers have officially unveiled brand new, Showtime-inspired Nike jerseys as the team gets ready for the of a new era of Lakers basketball with LeBron James.

We got our first look at the home, or “Icon,” jersey on Thursday when an east coast-based sporting goods store, Modell’s, prematurely tweeted out a picture of the redesigned jerseys. The response from the fanbase was less than ideal for both Nike and the Lakers because of the jersey’s bright yellow color.

However, judging from the official video released by the team on Monday, the new unis are more gold then they are yellow.

And courtesy of Lakers.com, here are the official pictures of all three of the released jerseys, the statment (purple), association (white) and icon (yellow):

Image via Lakers.com

The Lakers’ website also had a bit more info on the technology fans will be getting should they purchase one of the jerseys:

The Nike uniforms have been created using NikeConnect technology. Each adult-sized Nike NBA Connected Jersey will have an embedded NFC (near field communication) chip that will launch real-time team and player content such as pregame arrival footage, highlight packages and top players’ favorite music playlists – all on the jersey owner’s mobile device. Throughout the season, a wealth of exclusive offers and experiences will bring fans closer to the game they love.

After downloading the NikeConnect app, fans can tap their phone on the tag at the bottom of the jersey to unlock the full Nike Connect experience based on the player whose jersey has been tapped.

The uniforms are comprised of recycled PET bottles, a combination of Alpha Yarns and recycled polyester (each uniform represents approximately 20 recycled bottles). This modernized, sweat-wicking, sustainable design has a vastly improved fit with altered construction and hemlines on the shoulder, along with the bottom of both the jersey and shorts allowing for a full range of motion.

The two biggest changes to the jerseys that can be noticed right away are the changes to the collar and the numbers in the front and back of the jersey, as well as the black side panels on the purple editions.

In 1999, the Lakers ditched the classic round collars for the wishbone collar, which at the time was becoming increasingly popular. The team also got rid of the drop shadow behind the numbers in the front and back of their jerseys the same year.

Photo by Tom Hauck/Getty Images

This year, the Lakers brought back both the round collar and the drop shadow but with a few minor tweaks.

The shadow behind the numbers isn’t nearly as prominent as it was during the Showtime era. That’s not a good or a bad thing, it’s just worth noting.

The team also made a strange design decision and changed the colors of the round collars. For example, instead of the classic white and purple collar, the collars will be white, purple and yellow. Here’s what the jerseys would look like with the Showtime collars, courtesy of Silver Screen and Roll’s own Grant Goldberg:

It’s a small detail, for sure, but an important one they might have missed the mark on. Otherwise, the jerseys look great.

Along with these three new jerseys, the Lakers will get a redesigned “City” jersey at some point in the season. Last year’s all black “Mamba” jerseys were immensely popular, but unfortunately, they will not be brought back for another season.

If LeBron James signing with the Lakers didn’t signal the start of a new era for the Lakers, these jerseys certainly do the trick.

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