The NBA is known for allowing its teams to take some risks with alternate uniforms, and as such the 2024-25 array of City Edition jerseys were revealed Thursday. There were some grand slams in the bunch, but others fell flat.
The reigning champion Boston Celtics had one of the most disappointing City Edition entries. Their modern twist on an iconic jersey just didn’t come together, and the same can be said for the New York Knicks.
On the other end of the spectrum, teams like the Toronto Raptors and Utah Jazz gave the people what they wanted with different takes on popular throwback designs. Then, the Memphis Grizzlies and Detroit Pistons came up with truly unique and stylish jerseys that should fly off the shelves in those cities.
Let’s see who stood out, for better or worse, with the 2024-25 City Edition jersey rankings.
30. Boston Celtics
Coming off the franchise’s 18th NBA title, this is the direction we’re going with the City Edition uniforms? That is certainly a choice. The Celtics have one of the most iconic looks in all of sports, so creating an alternate will always be a challenge, but the neon green and modern font is not a winner. Let’s just drop some highlighter yellow into the next Bruins sweater while we’re at it.
29. Chicago Bulls
At first glance, I was puzzled about what the Bulls were going for here, then I read that these jerseys are celebrating the 30th anniversary of the United Center. That made a little more sense, but it would have been cool to see this jersey pay some kind of homage to legendary team that won three straight titles in the arena.
28. Minnesota Timberwolves
Minnesota gets a lot of snow and ice. That seems to be what this jersey boils down to, and the large amount of white space is a little maddening.
27. Miami Heat
Miami could have come up with some really cool options, but this looks like a catchphrase or a bumper sticker slapped onto a red jersey. I admire Heat Culture as much as anyone else, but this look pales in comparison to other City Edition uniforms.
26. Washington Wizards
Bring back the wizard. I just want to see a bearded wizard with a basketball on a jersey. Washington has a unique mascot and elects not to lean into it.
25. Brooklyn Nets
This design doesn’t work for me, but I do want to credit the Nets for turning the City Edition jersey over to local artist KAWS. This look definitely stands out from other jerseys, but it’s not moving the needle for yours truly.
24. New York Knicks
Much like the Celtics, coming up with an alternate jersey when the original is nearly perfect is a tall task for the Knicks. While I like this one more than the Celtics’ City Edition look, it still falls flat. The double “New York” on top of the pinstripes is just too much.
23. Orlando Magic
When I think of the Orlando Magic, I don’t necessarily think of an “armored-texture base” and “gothic font.” There’s just a little too much going on here, and much of it is in a muted gray color.
22. Indiana Pacers
Maybe I’m just becoming an old man, but few things about this jersey work for me. I don’t care for the font, and the color scheme is a downgrade from the team’s traditional colors.
21. Los Angeles Lakers
I don’t love the “LakeShow” nickname being on the jersey. Using “Showtime” might have been the better option, but that may have been unavailable. Forgive me. I’m unfamiliar with the legal ins and outs of television networks.
20. Portland Trail Blazers
From afar, the plaid inside the Rip City logo appeared to be a really nice touch, but then I realized the plaid seems to be throughout the entire jersey from top to bottom. At least the Trail Blazers leaned into those Portland roots.
19. Los Angeles Clippers
The base color of Pacific Blue is a nice touch here, but the rest of the jersey doesn’t quite pop to me. That said, this is clearly a cut above the jerseys below it.
18. Denver Nuggets
The Nuggets took a big swing here, while I’m not totally sure it connected for a home run, I can certainly appreciate the effort. The colorway is really nice, and I like the image of the Rocky Mountains in the 5280. I’m just not sure I love 5280 right above the player’s number. Maybe it would rank higher if the colors were used at the bottom of the jersey in some way.
17. Oklahoma City Thunder
This is a perfectly fine and inoffensive NBA jersey, and it ends in a perfectly average spot on this list.
16. Houston Rockets
The Rockets are paying tribute to their back-to-back NBA championships in 1994 and 1995 with a City Edition jersey, and I have mixed feelings. I like the idea of trying to make it look like a championship banner, but the H-town logo kind of distracts from that concept.
15. Phoenix Suns
This one has some great elements, but do they all come together seamlessly? I’m not so sure. I like the western font, and I like the tribute to the 1995 All-Star uniforms. Those two elements just don’t mesh from my perspective.
14. Milwaukee Bucks
I kind of dig the color scheme here, and using the state border as the striping is a cool concept. This doesn’t quite match other jerseys in the upper-tier on paper, but I could see it looking great in game action.
13. Cleveland Cavaliers
These jerseys pay tribute to the Cleveland Museum of Art, and they feature “color by numbers” on the side panel. Those two things, along with the font, make this a neat concept. It just doesn’t hold up well next to the very best looks in this ranking.
12. Dallas Mavericks
In my humble opinion, this is a slightly worse version of the 2023-24 City Edition uniform, which also featured this logo. The team did mention that this look was partially inspired by local legend Leon Bridges, so it gets points for that.
11. Charlotte Hornets
The Hornets can just keep rolling with the mint look, and it will work for me every time. No need to fix what isn’t broken. This is a sharp jersey.
10. Atlanta Hawks
At first glance, I didn’t love this jersey, but it has grown on me as I’ve worked my way through these rankings. The “Heritage Blue” and “Buttery Brown” are a nice combo, and the whole thing has a cool throwback feel to it.
9. Sacramento Kings
Some might think this is too plain, but I think it’s a case of less being more, especially when compared to some of its City Edition counterparts. This is just a clean look with a classic color scheme.
8. New Orleans Pelicans
The Pelicans have an unfair advantage being in New Orleans, and they take full advantage of it with this one. The “herring bone” pattern is great, and the whole thing has a hint of voodoo to it.
7. Golden State Warriors
The Warriors took a similar approach as the Kings. Don’t do too much, have some nods to the city and incorporate a tried and true color scheme. I think that worked for both teams, but especially the Warriors.
6. Utah Jazz
As a ’90s child, I think of these mountains when I think about the Jazz. This just feels right to me, and the revamped purple color scheme works nicely.
5. Philadelphia 76ers
This is just a very clean throwback to the 76ers’ early-’70s jerseys, and it looks fantastic. Philly didn’t overcomplicate things, which is more than can be said for the Phillies’ most recent City Connect uniforms.
4. San Antonio Spurs
Everything about this Spurs jersey just hits the right notes. The font, the color scheme highlighting Talavera tiles, and the shadowing behind the numbers combine to give San Antonio a unique look in the best way possible.
3. Toronto Raptors
This jersey features a velociraptor doing Vince Carter’s iconic dunk from the 2000 NBA All-Star Game. Do I need to say more?
2. Detroit Pistons
This is one of a few City Edition jerseys that should be given consideration as the new full-time look. These uniforms honor the back-to-back NBA titles in 1989 and 1990, but they have the perfect amount of modern twist, and the “bone” base color really sets it apart.
1. Memphis Grizzlies
These jerseys were No. 1 with a bullet, simply in a tier all their own. The Grizzlies wanted to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the ABA’s Memphis Sounds with these, and they did just that. In fact, they might have done too good a job because I will be starting a movement to change the team name on a permanent basis.
