Out with the gray and gold. In with the orange and blue.
That was the message the Cleveland Cavaliers sent on Thursday when they unveiled their new 'City Edition' uniforms for the 2018-19 season.
As previously reported, the Cavs' new threads will feature the same royal blue and orange color scheme the team donned from 1983-1994. The design also pays homage to the 'splash' uniforms of the late-1990s, as well as downtown Cleveland with the city's tourism script featured across the chest and on the waistband of the shorts.
Additionally, Quicken Loans Arena will transform its court for the six home games the Cavs will wear the jerseys, to feature to blue and orange color scheme and wordmark.
“The new City Edition uniform tells the story about The Land that we love – Cleveland,” said Cavaliers CMO Tracy Marek. “Collaborating on design with Nike is always a great opportunity, and to work with Destination Cleveland to represent the city’s brand on our uniform is something that is very special and unique for any team. We know the players and our fans will wear the Cleveland City Edition with pride.”
Added Colette Jones, Vice President of Marketing at Destination Cleveland: “Pride in Cleveland has been higher in the past few years due in large part to the 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers championship, and the Cavaliers decision to feature Destination Cleveland’s script wordmark on the 2018-19 City Edition jersey says so much about the team’s commitment to being champions of the city as well as on the court."
This season's 'City Edition' uniforms will replace the polarizing gray and gold jerseys the team wore sporadically in the second half of the 2017-18 campaign. Initiated in 2017, Nike's 'City Edition' program gives each NBA team a new alternate uniform each season, with the intention of representing "insights and emotion from the court to the upper deck to the cities’ streets, in pursuit of a unique way to capture each team and its city in a way that respects the past and present of the clubs while also positioning them for the future."
In addition to the 'City Edition' uniforms, it's believed the Cavs will also receive an additional alternate later this season when Nike unveils its new 'Earned Edition' program. According to a chart that has circulated on social media, the 'Earned' jerseys will only be available to each of last season's playoff teams, with the Cavs' upcoming set expected to be light blue.
The Cavs will officially debut their blue and orange 'City Edition' jerseys on Nov. 13 when they host the Charlotte Hornets. They will also wear them for the following games:
- Friday, December 7 vs. Sacramento Kings 7:30 p.m. (Destination Cleveland “Cleveland” script desk sign giveaway)
- Sunday, December 23 vs. Chicago Bulls 6:00 p.m.
- Saturday, January 5 vs. New Orleans Pelicans 8:00 p.m.
- Wednesday, February 13 vs. Brooklyn Nets 7:00 p.m. (ESPN)
- Tuesday, March 26 vs. Boston Celtics 7:00 p.m.
