The Sacramento Kings joined the rest of the NBA in introducing their 2024-25 City Edition uniform on Thursday. Unlike most teams who create “new” CE uniforms based on some feature or iconography or landmark — and then spinning a story around that feature — the Kings have instead reached deep into their roots for their new CE uniform. It probably matters not that the “City” the team is referencing isn’t their current home, since the new CE uni is based on their early years in Cincinnati (as well as Rochester, where the team began its life in the NBA).
First, as always, the video:
a Royal legacy 🔵 👑 pic.twitter.com/8zLyrvKl2M
— Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) November 14, 2024
As you can see, the team is referring to these as a “Royal Legacy,” which pays homage to the franchise’s historic Cincinnati Royals era, celebrating a vital chapter in the team’s history.
“This uniform is not just about honoring our past as one of the oldest teams in the NBA — it’s about embracing the journey that has brought us here and looking forward to an even brighter future,” said Sacramento Kings President of Business Operations John Rinehart. “Our fans are an integral part of this legacy, and we’re proud to celebrate this moment with them.”
According to the team, “Royal blue returns as the base color, echoing the vibrant color scheme of the Cincinnati Royals, with striping inspired by the warmup jacket worn by the team in the late 1960s. This design element connects to the storied past while emphasizing the evolution of the Kings’ identity. It features embossed crowns down the sides of the jersey that trace the development of the Kings crown logo from its origins with the Rochester Royals to its current form.”
While the team began life in the NBA in the late 1940s as the Rochester Royals, the new CE is a harkback to the Kings early years as the Cincinnati Royals, with elements of the new uniform serving as the basis for the 2024-25 CE. One element in particular that plays a starring role on the new uniforms was first seen on the team’s shorts from 1957-60. That logo is the smiling globe with a crown and a partial skyline of Cincy. (If that logo looks familiar, UW stalwart/contributor Leo Strawn uses a modified logo for his own “Leo’s World” articles!)
The jersey is royal blue with a solid thick red stripe around the collar, with red/white/red piping around the arm openings. “KINGS” is in a white vertical arc, with red outlines. White numbers also have red outlines.
Side panels of thin white/thick red/thin white run the length of the side of the jersey.
The rear of the jersey has a white, radially arched NOB, with a white number outlined in red, in the same style as on the front of the jersey.
But the real star of the show is the shorts.
Those feature a red waistband with a modern Kings logo. The sides of the shorts also have white/red/white striping that continues downward from the jersey. And, of course, both sides feature a modified “smiling world” logo first introduced by the Cincinnati Royals. A red/white/red stripe serves as the pants hem.
This updated design includes a reimagined basketball world with a face, an outline of California as the hairline, and a crown highlighting the Sacramento skyline! Genius.
The Kings add, “This uniform is more than a tribute; it is a celebration of our enduring legacy as one of the oldest teams in the NBA and a recognition of the rich history that continues to shape their identity today.”
As I’m a huge fan of throwbacks (even if I don’t like the particular throwback, I appreciate seeing them), even though this uniform is more of a harkback, it’s still awesome. And it’s not the first time the Kings have gone with this theme for their City Edition. Their 2023-24 CE uniform was also a harkback to the Kings time in Cincy, representing the iteration of uniform that would follow their original Cincinnati Royals duds. I also love how they’ve redesigned the logo to be more representative of Sacramento (the state of California hairline is particularly endearing).
The team will wear the CE for five home games and four road games, beginning with tonight’s game against the Utah Jazz.
Your thoughts?
This is one of my favorite City Editions…or is this a Cincy Edition?
“Of course it’s one of your favorites, because it looks old,” some of you might say. Well, I also really like Atlanta’s, and I like Charlotte’s even better. As someone in a different comment section for a different uni said, too bad these won’t be around for more than one season.
Why did they use the “Leo’s World” logo?
I was just wondering the same thing…
Me three…
Oh man that ad patch is terrible
YES! As a Kings fan, the royal, red and white need to be permanently returned to the main unis! Even the “other” team down south has ditched the purple and black.
Man, these are almost perfect!
Let’s give credit where it’s due: This one’s a keeper. And the KINGS lettering totally slaps!
These look so generic, like is it the pistons, the Sixers, the clippers, the wizards? the colors are so boring and the whole thing is just bad.
it’ll never be good enough, eh Sasha?
Even just having their normal colors(purple, black, and grey) would be a huge improvement. Too many NBA teams use red, white, and blue; which is just boring.
This is a very cool uniform, that Leo’s World remix logo with the Cali hairline is brilliant. A shame it will be used for only a handful of games.
More like Other City Edition, am I right?
Is this thing on?
I’ll see myself out.