Lakers Rumors: Nike Unveiling New Jerseys For 2018-19 NBA Season That Have Retro Feel

Matthew Moreno
3 Min Read
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

The 2017-18 NBA season saw the return of Nike taking over the apparel license for all 30 teams, and with it came a renewed approach. Apparel rights previously were held by Adidas, who began an 11-year deal with NBA in 2006.

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This past season marked the start of an eight-year apparel deal between Nike and the NBA that’s believed to be worth nearly $1 billion. And with the Swoosh again producing jerseys and other memorabilia, there was a seismic shift on the court.

Whereas the Los Angeles Lakers typically wore yellow/gold or white jerseys at home and purple on the road, that tradition was thrown out the window. Instead, Nike designed “Icon,” “Association,” “Classic” and “Statement” jerseys for every team.

For the Lakers, they primarily wore their yellow uniforms (Icon), with the previously Sunday-only whites (Association) mixed in. They occasionally donned throwback Minneapolis powder blue jerseys (Classic), and it wasn’t until late November that they unveiled the purple (Statement) uniforms.

Now, more change appears to be on the horizon. As outlined in a mockup below and compared to the jerseys worn in 2017-18, the Lakers are expected to alter their design(s), via Sportslogos.net:

Gone are the stripes down the jersey and shorts, while a shadow effect returns to player jersey numbers. The look is reminiscent of what current Lakers president of basketball operations Magic Johnson wore during his playing days.

Also no longer expected to be present is the Lakers’ logo at the center of the waistband. Nike is expected to formally unveil the new looks on Monday, July 30. The Lakers presumably will have another Lore Series edition, which last year paid homage to Kobe Bryant.

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Matthew Moreno is a journalist from Whittier, Calif., who is a credentialed reporter and is currently the Managing Editor of DodgerBlue.com and LakersNation.com. In addition to covering Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angels Lakers games, Matthew has a strong passion for keeping up to date with the sneakerhead culture. It began with Michael Jordan and Air Jordan shoes, and has carried over to Kobe Bryant's signature line with Nike. Matthew previously was the lead editor and digital strategist at Dodgers Nation, and the co-editor and lead writer at Reign of Troy, where he covered USC Trojans Football. Matthew graduated from California State Long Beach University with a major in journalism and minor in communications. Contact: matt@mediumlargela.com