CLEVELAND -- The Cleveland Cavaliers are going gray.
On Saturday, the Cavs will debut their new City Edition uniforms when they host the Houston Rockets at Quicken Loans Arena. The highly anticipated jerseys mark the first time the team has worn gray uniforms as the Cavs will trade in their traditional wordmark in order to wear 'The Land' across their chests.
The Cavs' new jerseys are a part of Nike's new City Edition, which offer teams the opportunity to represent their hometowns in a unique fashion. According to Nike, the Cavs' jerseys are intended to invoke "the iconic giant 'Guardians of Transportation' sandstone sculptures," which "have stood guard over Cleveland's Hope Memorial Bridge to protect travelers entering and leaving the city."
Per Nike:
The side panels of the Cavaliers City Edition uniform represent the Guardians but with a team-specific twist: The Cavs shield logo is inset as the head of each sculpture. Further graphic inspiration from the Guardians' robes and a belt buckle featuring the silhouette of the state of Ohio symbolize the team's stature as a regional protector. If those features aren't clear enough, “The Land” is emblazoned across the chest to offer direct tribute to the entire Northeast Ohio area.
Although the uniforms have been polarizing on social media due to their unique nature, they've received a ringing endorsement from Cavs megastar LeBron James, who played a role in helping design his team's new duds.
"They're phenomenal," James said per ESPN's Dave McMenamin. "I was happy to be a part of it. I love the color scheme, I love the Ohio crest on the front of the shorts, I like the color combination of the gray with the gold in navy, you can do so many different (combinations) … They allowed us to do a lot with it. It was fun, it was a fun procedure."
According to the Cavs' website, the team will wear their City Edition uniforms 12 times this season, with eight of those occasions coming at home. City Edition merchandise is also already available for sale at the Cavs' team shop in Quicken Loans Arena and at CavaliersTeamShop.com.
