Adidas, the official on-court apparel provider for the National Basketball Association (NBA), unveiled uniforms and apparel for the 65th NBA All-Star Game that will be played outside of the U.S. for the first time ever on February 14, 2016 in Toronto, Canada. The uniforms incorporate elements indigenous to Canada and pay homage to the city’s NBA history, basketball fans and cosmopolitan vibe.
“It is a very exciting time for basketball in Canada,” said Chris Grancio, Adidas global basketball general manager. “To honor this global celebration and pay tribute to Toronto, we’ve incorporated design elements that are inspired by the city’s basketball history, sports culture and unique fashion scene to make an All-Star collection that players and fans will love.”
“We’ve incorporated design elements that are inspired by the city’s basketball history, sports culture and unique fashion scene…” Chris Grancio, Adidas global basketball general manager
The red-and-white Western Conference and white-and-blue Eastern Conference uniforms both feature a maple leaf overlay on the front of the jerseys as an ode to the sweet national symbol of Canada, while the Toronto cityscape is featured across the back. Clean, single-layered fonts are a nod to the NBA’s early days in Toronto, where the first NBA game was played on Nov. 1, 1946, between the Toronto Huskies and New York Knickerbockers.
A star patch that incorporates the maple leaf and NBA logo is displayed on the upper back of the uniforms, while black-and-gold jock tags display the Toronto Raptors’ alternate team colors and claw logo. Featured on the jersey’s neck liner and shorts’ draw strings is a mosaic of flag colors that represent the multinational makeup of the league’s players.
The NBA All-Stars will also sport specially made warm-ups that embrace Toronto’s winter fashion and style.
Black and heather gray fleece jackets include customized star patches that acknowledge the number of NBA All-Star appearances for each player, while patches on the right zipper pocket call out the game’s top accolades, including Kia NBA Most Valuable Player, Kia NBA Rookie of the Year, NBA All-Star Game MVP and NBA Championships. The on-court warm-ups include a performance fleece shooting shirt and tapered pant with white and gold trim.
NBA All-Star jerseys ($70 – $110), as well as a full range of NBA All-Star apparel with adult and youth T-shirts ($20 – $30), adult track jackets ($110 – $200) and headwear ($20 – $26), will be available on NBAStore.com in January to prep fans for the big game.
The 65th NBA All-Star Game takes place at the Air Canada Centre, projecting to reach fans in more than 200 countries and 40 languages. TNT will televise the All-Star Game in the U.S. for the 14th consecutive year, marking Turner Sports’ 31st year of All-Star coverage.
Adidas and the NBA are in the midst of an 11-year global merchandising partnership signed in 2006, which made the adidas brand the official uniform and apparel provider for the NBA, the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) and the NBA Development League (D-League) beginning with the 2006-07 NBA season.