The Atlanta Hawks joined the rest of the NBA in unveiling their new City Edition uniform on Thursday. The uniforms are being dubbed the “Fly City 2.0” uniforms. You can probably guess the rest is all downhill.
Let’s go to the video…
Let's FLY pic.twitter.com/QXmISgvI3c
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) November 14, 2024
Let’s get the cringy corportate-speak out of the way early. Per the team:
Basketball is our passion, Atlanta our home, and the people who live here our inspiration for the 2024-25 Nike NBA Fly City Edition 2.0 Uniform; an expansion of last season’s commitment to uplifting the community.
Atlanta, a city known for its spirit and determination, has a history of lifting up individuals and providing them the opportunity to soar. We are all interconnected, and these uniforms celebrate the power of collaboration and collection growth in achieving success.
Our City Edition uniform epitomize our deep-rooted commitment to our community. The mantra “Lift as We Fly” represents our drive to come together and uplift one another. By embracing this jersey, fans can proudly demonstrate their support for the Atlanta Hawks and their dedication to making a positive impact in their community.
Ok then.
Let’s break down the uniform as best as possible.
The team describes the colorway thusly: “The colorway for the Fly City Edition Uniform is comprised of Heritage Blue, Buttery Brown, Ascension White, and Infinity Black. Heritage Blue pays homage to the Hawks’ iconic 1968 uniform, which marked the team’s arrival in this great city. Buttery Brown is a rich and comforting hue which embodies the team’s smooth style on the court and echoes the richness and diversity in Atlanta. Ascension White embodies the spirit of upliftment and boundless potential, inspired by Atlanta’s community and its drive to elevate together. Infinity Black is an affirmation of the team’s bold and relentless pursuit of a championship, fueled by the unwavering support of Hawks’ fans and the love for the city.”
The jersey is, ahem, white, light blue, tan, and black — despite the names the team has given to those colors. Hawks is splashed across the chest inside the light blue stripe, which is bordered by black and tan stripes. The black/tan stripes also serve as trim for the arm and neck openings. Player number is situated on the upper right side of the jersey, while a white swash below the wordmark gives way to another light blue swatch, all divided by tan/black stripes. While not identical, the design resembles that of the classic mid-80s template.
The rear of the jersey is light blue and white, separated by the tan/black stripe. Player NOB is in black and radially arched, and uni number is also solid black.
Shorts follow the same blue/white swirl pattern as the jersey, with “atl” in black on the right side of the shorts, and the Hawks classic “PacMan” logo on the left side. “atlanta” in tiny black letters sits in the middle of the waistband.
The Hawks made mention that this is part of a two year story arc, but their 2023-24 CE uniform is actually quite different in color and style.
And like the other CE uniforms, the team will have a special court in use when the CEs are worn.
The team will debut the uniforms this Monday, when the Hawks play the Dallas Mavericks. It’ll be worn a total of 10 games during the 2024-25 season.
Like all other CE uniforms, these are wholly unnecessary. I do like that the design evokes the mid-1980s classics, but that’s about it. While light blue isn’t a color we normally associate with the Hawks, it was used when the team first moved to Atlanta (it was also used in St. Louis, the Hawks previous home). I’m definitely not a fan of the use of tan (or “buttery brown” as the team calls it), and I think the black, white and light blue worked well together. It’s not that it feels like an afterthought — but to my eye it simply doesn’t go with the other colors. YMMV and all that.
Your thoughts?
I actually quite like this uniform, but my limited knowledge of basketball tells me that these do not look like Atlanta Hawks jerseys.
“Buttery Brown”…I like that.
All the other corporate-speak can go away.
Fabulous looking unis. Very well done.
I agree, harkening back to the Dominque era look- which in my view is one of the all time greats!!
Got to admit, those hawk shadows on the court are a pretty nice touch.
Yeah, that’s pretty great. Should look cool on TV.
Like the court. Personally think they should have gone back to the ’68 unis, but………
The design, colors aside, feels like a weird hybrid of the 80s and early 90s designs (the striping being reminiscent of the 80s, while the Hawks wordmark recalls the 90s unis).
It’s not bad, but I have to say I laughed when I read the words “buttery brown”.
Wish the entire city edition program would just “fly away.”
Simply no other place to put the number.
If your butter is brown you need to throw it away, just like this uniform.