In the NBA, home teams pick which uniform they will wear, and visiting teams then choose a contrasting oneNBAE/GETTY IMAGES
The Lakers have often worn purple at home and gold on the road, "irritating traditionalists and confusing fans," ever since the NBA and Nike did away with traditional home and away uniforms prior to the '17-18 season, according to Arash Markazi of the L.A. TIMES. Lakers President of Business Operations & COO Tim Harris said, "The gold is [overwhelmingly] the favorite color of Lakers fans. It's not close, but more and more teams want to wear their dark uniforms at home. We like wearing gold at home, but other teams like wearing dark uniforms at home so we wear gold more on the road." Home teams "pick which uniform they will wear at home and then the visiting team will choose a contrasting uniform." Teams must "wear their Icon and Association Edition uniforms 10 times each, their Statement Edition uniforms six times and their City or Classic Edition uniforms three times." The Lakers will "wear all four of their uniforms at least 17 times," and they have "tried to incorporate some routine with the new uniform flexibility." If the Lakers make the playoffs, they are "expected to go back to a more traditional model of gold at home, white if the game falls on a Sunday or holiday, and purple on the road -- with the understanding that if their opponent chooses to wear a dark uniform at home, they would wear gold" (L.A. TIMES, 11/19).
TALKING TEAL: In Detroit, Rod Beard notes the Pistons' teal jersey has "experienced a renaissance, with some fans clamoring for the Pistons to bring it back since it was shelved" in '01. In looking at the Pistons' available options, the NBA "mandates that they could use teal as a Hardwood Classics jersey, which can be in five-year intervals of a franchise anniversary." The next one is three years away. Pistons VP & Creative Dir Jason George said, "Our first opportunity would be the 2022-2023 season, because it would be the 80th anniversary of 1941." He added, "You can't bring back portions of a retro uniform; you can only bring it back in its original form as part of Hardwood Classics." Additionally, the team would "have to work on options for Hardwood Classics jerseys two years in advance, with the application process" (DETROIT NEWS, 11/19).
