COURTESY CHARLOTTE HORNETS

Charlotte Hornets forward Gordon Hayward models the team’s new City Edition uniform, which will debut Friday against the New York Knicks.

The Charlotte Hornets’ City Edition uniform pays tribute to the team’s greatest hits.

The Nike-designed uniform, which debuts Nov. 12 against New York as part of the NBA’s 75th anniversary season, is a compilation of iconic moments as a “mixtape” of topics, including the unveiling of the original colors and uniforms; the 1990s teams with Muggsy Bogues, Dell Curry, Larry Johnson and Alonzo Mourning; the honeycomb-themed floor of the Charlotte Coliseum on Tyvola Road; and return of the Hornets name to Charlotte in 2014.

“We’re excited to honor so many important and memorable pieces of our history through the 2021-22 Nike NBA City Edition uniform,” Hornets President and Vice Chairman Fred Whitfield said in a statement. “This uniform reflects many of the defining moments the Hornets and our fans have celebrated over more than three decades and truly showcases our franchise’s evolution over the years.”

In modern-day sports marketing, offering multiple uniform options is the name of the game, and the NBA has led the way with throwbacks and multiple colorways. The goal, said Seth Bennett, the Hornets’ senior vice president of consumer engagement is to create a connection between franchise and fan base.

“This is really unique. We have to credit our partnership with Nike for encouraging us to think differently around our uniform program and trying to create stories that help us connect to our fans even greater,” he said. “You’re starting to see that now even in collegiate sports as well, where they’re starting to develop uniforms on a more frequent basis that tells unique stories on helmets and things of that nature. We’re glad to be at the forefront of that. Certainly, we feel we’re well-equipped to tell those stories and keep new options coming that are connected to our brand, which gives us a new story line for our jersey program.”

The Hornets will also bring back the classic court used for games from 2018-20 for the eight home games in which the team will wear the City Edition outfit for “Hive 75 Nights.” The court is based on the design used at the Charlotte Coliseum beginning in 1995 and features the classic Hornets logo at midcourt with a teal trail leading to the sideline, the free-throw lines as part of basketballs and a teal cell pattern within the free-throw lanes. The classic court will also feature “EST. 1988” in the classic Hornets font on the apron at center court.

Other “Hive 75 Night” games include Dec. 27 (Houston); Jan. 8 (Milwaukee); Jan. 23 (Atlanta); Feb. 9 (Chicago); Feb. 12 (Memphis); March 19 (Dallas) and March 25 (Utah). The Hornets will also wear City Edition gear nine times on the road. City Edition jerseys are expected to be available at retail outlets, including HornetsFanShop.com on Nov. 15.

The City Edition uniform, which replaces last season’s Mint-inspired outfit, is a mashup of throwback elements from previous uniforms and non-uniform cues to tell the story of the team’s evolution from the inaugural season of 1988-89 to the present. The front of the jersey features a script “Charlotte” wordmark from the design of pennants that hung in the background when the original uniforms debuted in 1988.

The numbers on the front and back of the jersey are in the current Hornets font, while the nameplate on the back appears in the classic Hornets font. The number on the front of the jersey is right justified, reminiscent of the uniforms worn by the Bobcats from 2004-09 and 2012-14.

The uniform includes the familiar multicolored pinstripes from the original Hornets uniforms worn from 1988-97, along with a vertically gradated cell pattern that pays tribute to the court design from the Charlotte Coliseum. The shorts include a classic Hornets logo on one leg and a script wordmark on the other. The waistband has an “H” logo found on the original Hornets uniforms in 1988.

“Charlotte’s uniforms changed the game the day they arrived, and Nike Inc. partnered with the Hornets to help them remain one of the most stylish teams in the league,” said Aaron Cain, the apparel giant’s vice president and general manager, men’s division.

Note: This article has been updated to reflect the City Edition uniform's debut.

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