This year is the first in which players don NBA jerseys created by Nike, not Adidas. From a visual standpoint, the jerseys are superb. They’re gorgeous. The structural integrity of the jerseys, though, is suspect; at least five have ripped this season. Nike is working to improve the jerseys, said Nike in a statement (via ESPN):
“Nike has always put the athlete at the center of everything we do and we have worked hard to create the most advanced uniforms in the history of the NBA,” the company said in the statement. “They are lighter and deliver great mobility and sweat wicking characteristics, and the feedback from players has been overwhelmingly positive. However, during game play we have seen a small number of athletes experience significant jersey tears. We are very concerned to see any game day tear and are working to implement a solution that involves standardizing the embellishment process and enhancing the seam strength of game day jerseys. The quality and performance of our products are of utmost importance and we are working with the NBA and teams to avoid this happening in the future.”
Several jerseys have ripped this season:
It appears this is where LeBron James jersey was ripped pic.twitter.com/BrWX2B7VdC
— Def Pen Hoops (@DefPenHoops) October 18, 2017
Draymond Green comes out of it with his jersey completely ripped pic.twitter.com/OfQn7vw2Wn
— Def Pen Hoops (@DefPenHoops) October 28, 2017
Oh no… another NBA jersey ripped in half….sorry, Ben Simmons ???
(?: @AdamLefkoe) pic.twitter.com/ssEqJ1nSg8
— Def Pen Hoops (@DefPenHoops) November 4, 2017
Another jersey casualty… but this time the crime was self-inflected…
Kevin Love ripped it right down the middle ?? pic.twitter.com/N7fimnfG1W
— Def Pen Hoops (@DefPenHoops) November 5, 2017
Tyler Ennis’ jersey was torn in the #Lakers’ preseason opener against the T’Wolves. Wonder if this becomes a persistent problem #Nike pic.twitter.com/YpDlu7GotG
— Ryan Ward (@RyanWardLA) October 18, 2017