Each of the team's uniforms will sport the logo of Nike's Jordan Brand, the eponymous collection inspired by Hornets Chairman Michael Jordan, making the Hornets the only U.S. professional team with the iconic Jumpman logo on its uniforms.
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"We are excited to reveal the first two of our new uniforms for next season," said Hornets President & COO Fred Whitfield. "The new uniforms are particularly special to us because they formally align our Hornets brand with that of our owner, Michael Jordan, bringing us added visibility around the world."
The new unis aren't a drastic departure from previous ones. The stripes on both uniforms are slightly thinner, and the white uniform now has the secondary logo on the side of the shorts as opposed to the Crown CH logo previously used. The teal uniform now says "Hornets" on the chest of the jersey and "Charlotte" in the tone-on-tone lettering on the shorts, reversing the prior designs.
For those with a technological bent, the uniform is built on a refined version of the Nike Aeroswift basketball chassis, the Hornets said. Nike used research from 3D-body maps of players, including heat and sweat maps, to make significant changes to the weight, fit and construction of the uniforms, while also paying special attention to enabling agility.
The uniform is comprised of a combination of Alpha Yarns and recycled polyester, with each uniform representing approximately 20 recycled PET bottles. The blend removes moisture more quickly than previous NBA uniforms, wicking sweat 30 percent faster than current versions.
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Coinciding with the introduction of the Nike brand as uniform provider, the NBA is eliminating its "Home" and "Road" uniform designations. Beginning with the 2017-18 season, home teams will pick the uniform they will wear and visiting teams will choose a contrasting uniform within their own assortment. Because of this change, each team will have four core uniforms, classified as "editions."
The Association Edition, the traditional home white uniform, "links the 30 teams as members of the most exclusive basketball club in the world."
The Icon Edition, previously known as the road uniform, represents "the rich heritage and iconic identity that exists within each franchise."
The two remaining core uniforms will be revealed in the coming months.