Yesterday, the Oklahoma City Thunder unveiled four new uniforms for the upcoming season, and here are my grades on how good they look.
City Edition: A
The main and most important update is without a doubt the new City Edition. This unit is created in partnership with the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum and honors the victim of the bombing of April 19th, 1995.
The uniform itself is beautiful, a nice light black (charcoal seems to be the right term) with gold details. Each one of the details is related to the Museum, from the gates on the sides to the tree and the time of the attack on the shorts. The jersey is clean and sharp at the same time. Another solid concept after last year’s city edition, not only for the meaning but also the look.
The Statement: C +
I don’t like orange in sport units. It’s a color I don’t like, so when I see it, I am rarely pleased with the result. Now, I know the term used for this jersey is sunset but it still looks orange and meh to me.
Also, the blue that they used for the OKC and the details it’s a bit too light, I rather have the navy blue with the sunset.
However, it’s not all bad. One good thing is that they kept only OKC on the front, and they used just three colors on the whole kit. This is a color scheme that can work, it’s a bit too flashy, but at least it still simple. Last year’s Statement edition was better.
Association: C-
I like it better than the previous association ones. The details are a little better, and it looks sharper than usual. But that’s it. This unit is still below average, plus the full Oklahoma City above the number doesn’t help. Too many letters, to pack on the front, and again colors colors colors. They are just bad together.
Icon: F+
Probably the worst jersey in the whole NBA. The color scheme is bad. There are too many different colors not fitting to each other. The only upgrade is the switch from Oklahoma City to Thunder in the front, and that’s why it’s not an F but an F+. This unit should be removed at all.
Love Patch: F
It is just wrong. I know they pay good money to be up there, but that patch is too big and too colorful. Many fans already made simple photoshops, and the results are way way better. I know, probably nobody in the Thunder organization (or Love’s company) care, because when a fan buys the jersey it is without the patch, but man, they are ugly.
It has been said multiple times, the Oklahoma City Thunder need a full rebrand, from the logo to the colors, to their units. Now that a new era of basketball is starting in OKC, and with the uprising of independent artists in the city, it’s the right time for the franchise to take a turn in the right direction: keep it simple, give it a meaning, and make it cool.
