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Memphis Grizzlies Unveil New 2024-25 City Edition Uniform

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The Memphis Grizzlies unveiled their 2024-25 City Edition uniforms yesterday, and they celebrate the 50th anniversary season of the ABA’s Memphis Sounds. This is a departure from the CEs most teams have been unveiling this year. Most teams don’t use throwbacks (or fauxbacks or harkbacks) for their CE, but that’s what we’re getting from the Griz.

The team describes the Sounds uniform as a blend of past and present. We’ll begin with the video:

Per the team:

In 1974, former ABA Commissioner Mike Storen took over operations of the Memphis franchise, lining up local co-owners, including Stax legend Isaac Hayes, and renaming it the Memphis Sounds to honor the city’s rich musical heritage.

This year’s City Edition uniform celebrates that legacy with a modern Grizzlies flare. The design combines an asymmetrical silhouette with a large cut-and-sew side panel, featuring a red base inspired by the Sounds’ past uniforms. Drawing wordmark inspiration from the 1974/75 Sounds jerseys, this uniform adds a pop of Beale Street Blue from our current uniforms, along with ‘record gold’ from our ‘Memphis Soul’ 2020/21 City Edition uniforms throughout the system. The primary bear head icon appears on the short’s belt buckle, while a new oversized ‘G-Note’ logo on the left short leg, inspired by the 1994/95 G-Swipe and the musical history of the Sounds and their ABA roots.

And here are some looks at the front and sides of the full uniform:

It’s a fairly basic uniform, but also typical of ABA design from the 1970s. The red base is accented with powder blue and white. “Memphis” is in a bespoke font, in white with a powder blue block shadow. Numbers are in the same style. The uniform is also asymmetrical, with the right side containing thick side panels of blue and white, extending the entire length of the jersey and down the shorts. The left side is solid red, with a logo that looks like a script “G” or a mashup of a musical note and and ampersand. The team says the uniforms “have a new oversized ‘G-Note’ logo”

The rear of the jersey shows player NOB in white, and uni number in the same block shadow and font as on the front.

If you’re saying to yourself, “Hey, didn’t the Grizzlies wear a Sounds throwback before?” you’d be correct. Back in 2015-16, the team wore a similar uniform, but that was classified as a “Hardwood Classic” uniform. The new CE is similar, but features the addition of the powder blue and has a slightly different design.

Here are a few additional views:

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I love the idea of the Grizzlies using the ABA Sounds uniform for their new CE. I’m actually surprised the team went in this direction, as most CE uniforms painstakingly try to fit a storytelling narrative onto a new uniform that somehow connects to the city. The Griz will be having none of that. Since throwbacks are usually reserved for “Statement” or “classic” or other some such buzzword, I’m glad the team won’t be creating something out of whole cloth or reusing a previous City uniform with a color swap. If you check out some of their previous CE uniforms, you’ll see what I mean. They’ve pretty much been devoid of much creativity for the entire duration.

Your thoughs?

 
  
 
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Comments (18)

    Sticking with the ’70s theme, I dig these threads! The Memphis name font looks great in the normal pics with the light blue shadow, but even better in the closeups with the thin gold trim. The asymmetrical stripes are cool too, and the styled G on the shorts is a great finishing touch. I’ll have to make note of Sunday’s game (sandwiched between football games) to see them on court! Great doing, Griz!

    The Grizzlies typically do a great job with these special uniforms, especially when they are either throwbacks, or throwback-inspired….the Sounds, the Pros, the Tams. The Isaac-Hayes-inspired kit from 2020/2021 is still a favorite. But this iteration is excellent, and as mentioned, doesn’t try to force or create any “storytelling” BS out of thin air. It’s tells the story that was already written decades ago. Outstanding.

    I agree that they should stick with the Sounds name, but in fairness, the WFL team in Memphis was also known as the Grizzlies (informally in 1974, formally in 1975), so there is some history for that name as well.

    Always like to see a little asymmetry, really nice uniform, agree with all the above comments.

    I agree with T Ganz. Memphis Sounds is better. Utah should take the Grizzlies’ name as part of name swap. I really like the uniforms. I like how the white part of the shorts swoops across from the right leg to the left leg. I just wish they moved the white part a little higher on the front of the shorts. Just a personal preference. Still a good looking uniform.

    Actually, after looking at the uniform some more, the white parts on the front of the shorts looks fine. Carry on.

    Yes. That’s what I’ve been saying. Do a few simple swaps. We get:
    Utah Grizzlies
    New Orleans Jazz
    Memphis Sounds
    1000% better

    Grizzlies have nailed it with this. It’s a simple classic uniform that is 100% Memphis. It’s going to pop on the court and on TV.

    I had said that the Titans were the only team that couldn’t make dark blue/light blue work. I forgot about the Grizzlies, who always manage to make that combo dull. Switch to red instead.

    Red with light blue trim is an especially rare combo in pro sports. I always liked the University of SW Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns when they went red wth light blue trim.

    I like these, but I wish the blue was a little bit darker and less grey, so that the wordmark didn’t look so washed-out.

    These are really fine. Love that wordmark and I am fond of the red and light blue combination. Well done.

Comments are closed.