The NBA is back with another set of its City Edition jerseys for 2019-20, with each team (barring one) rotating in special uniforms inspired by local design elements. A few teams are running it back with last year’s jersey, but most have unveiled a new set for the year.
With all 29 of this season’s City Edition jerseys accounted for, we decided to rank ‘em.
Honorable mention: Memphis Grizzlies
Technically, the Grizzlies are sitting out the City Edition jerseys this year. We’re actually totally fine with that, since instead they’re bringing back these bad boys from Vancouver (right down to the original wordmark!) to celebrate their 25th anniversary.
29. Dallas Mavericks
We’ll be honest: A bunch of this year’s City jerseys are mostly fine, if a little simple.
We appreciate the Mavs for going well out of their way to design one of the most genuinely chaotic jerseys in recent history. The gradient blue, the prolific use of the neon-green highlights, and that font. THAT FONT.
Yeah, the internet didn’t love these ones.
28. Boston Celtics
The Celtics boast one of the most iconic jerseys in all of sports, a timeless classic that they might never need to tinker with. Unfortunately, for their City Edition jersey, it looks like the Celtics will be repping the worst bar on your college campus.
27. Milwaukee Bucks
Cream. City.
26. Houston Rockets
That’s... it?
25. Charlotte Hornets
Again, louder for those in the back: That’s it?
24. San Antonio Spurs
Another year, another camouflage jersey from the Spurs. The only thing worse than camo jerseys might be digital camo!
23. Los Angeles Clippers
We loved the Grand Theft Auto games as much as the next person, but not so much as a jersey concept.
22. Brooklyn Nets
Look, the Nets’ City Edition jersey from last year was a bonafide all-timer, but the decision to slap an all-time bad jersey font on it and then call it a day is, um, questionable.
21. Detroit Pistons
Anyone else get the sense that these jerseys should somehow look better than they actually do?
20. Atlanta Hawks
At least by keeping it simple, these Hawks jerseys avoid the whole mess with the triangle pattern on their regular jerseys!
19. Washington Wizards
There is so much potential for a D.C. based team trying to work in stars and stripes imagery in their jersey, and the side paneling here is genuinely wacky and fun. Still, you could do more — like the Washington Bullets of old.
18. Orlando Magic
The orange on this jersey really pops, although it doesn’t have much else going for it otherwise. This trend of reducing cities to their three-letter abbreviations should stop!!!
17. Minnesota Timberwolves
Look, these is a solid jersey with a nice shade of blue, but we can’t get over how much these look like if hospital scrubs were basketball jerseys.
16. Chicago Bulls
Red on blue?! We kind of have to appreciate the audacity, and these might actually look fine on the court, but this visual clash definitely isn’t going to be for everyone.
15. Golden State Warriors
This design was awesome the first time it came out in yellow and blue! But it’s lost some of that newness factor, and this is a pretty dull colour palette.
14. Los Angeles Lakers
Pros: Designed by Shaq, with the classic wordmark and jersey number. Cons: Otherwise... kind of chaotic? The stars are a lot.
13. New York Knicks
The Knicks are one of a few teams running it back with last year’s City jersey. It’s fine.
12. Oklahoma City Thunder
It’s a fine jersey with a good story that pays tribute to a meaningful piece of local history. Feel-goodism always wins you some points!
11. Phoenix Suns
The Suns continue to pay homage to their Latin American fanbase, which you always love to see. The jersey is mostly bland, but it’s salvaged by the choice to nod to the Arizona state flag on the right leg, a nice visual zag.
10. Toronto Raptors
This may be an unpopular opinion, but the black-and-gold OVO look for the Raptors is starting to wear thin. This jersey uses the lettering from the Raptors’ OG 90s jerseys, which is a win, but it’s otherwise still sort of boring?
9. Sacramento Kings
These are nice jerseys, but for whatever reason, they aren’t giving us any Sacramento Kings vibes at all. They aren’t them if they aren’t playing in purple!
8. Utah Jazz
The Jazz are getting docked points for just running it back with last year’s jersey, but, hey, pretty strong jersey.
7. New Orleans Pelicans
Same deal as the Jazz, running it back with a great jersey. It felt like these went really underappreciated, too.
6. Portland Trail Blazers
Almost as good as the 76ers’ City jersey (see below). Clean design with an off-white base. The Blazers are so good at jerseys.
5. Denver Nuggets
Obviously good, but a little overrated? These minimalist versions of their throwback rainbow skyline jerseys are fine, but this look with the thinner lines just can’t compare to the OGs with the chunkier rainbow striping.
4. Cleveland Cavaliers
That wordmark! Those side hashes! Bits and pieces from jerseys throughout Cavs history, all mashed up in a visually pleasing blend. It’s truly wild that the Cavs picked one of the worst times in recent team history to unload all these gems that they’ve worn recently.
3. Philadelphia 76ers
Simple, but so, so good. The off-white base with cursive lettering and asymmetric shorts detailing? Love it.
2. Indiana Pacers
Oh, this one goes hard. The checkered-flag stripe down one side and the circled jersey number are unusual choices, but it’s a very pleasant zag.
1. Miami Heat
The Heat have essentially been rolling with different colour variations of this Vice Nights jersey for the last few years, and it just never misses. If they can find more colours to slap on this design, keep going back to the well, we say! This powder blue take is an automatic cop.
