NBA owners have approved the much debated proposal to sell corporate logos on jerseys beginning in the '17-18 season as part of a three-year trial program. The vote allows teams to go to market to sell a 2.5 inch by 2.5 inch patch on the left shoulder of game jerseys. The NBA’s 30 teams will be responsible for selling their own jersey sponsorships. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver in a statement said, “We’re always thinking about innovative ways the NBA can remain competitive in a global marketplace.” The sponsor patch will not appear on the retail versions of the jerseys but teams will have the option to sell the jerseys with sponsor patches in their own retail outlets (John Lombardo, Staff Writer). USA TODAY's Jeff Zillgitt notes while the sponsor patch will be on the left shoulder, Nike, which will become the league’s "first apparel partner to have its logo on a game-day uniform, will be represented with a patch of the 'swoosh' on the right shoulder." The jersey will "look similar to the 2016 All-Star jerseys with the KIA logo on one shoulder and the Adidas logo on the other" (USATODAY.com, 4/15). BLOOMBERG NEWS' Scott Soshnick notes the NBA has been "moving toward advertising on uniforms for years," and the WNBA "already have company logos on their uniforms" (BLOOMBERG NEWS, 4/15).
