New Warriors Uniforms sleeves

Note: At the end of this post, tell us your favorite Warriors uniform design of all time to enter for the chance to win a 10-person pizza party from Amici’s East Coast Pizzeria.

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Those of you who have thought NBA uniforms were too revealing in the shoulder area can finally rejoice — the Golden State Warriors are ushering in the era of basketball modesty.

Today at Oracle Arena, the Warriors and Adidas held a press conference at midcourt. Mark Jackson told jokes about how these new uniforms would’ve made even him seem fast back in his playing days. Harrison Barnes, the Warriors top model of the day, cracked up. Rick Welts, Golden State Warriors president and chief operating officer, spoke of the franchise’s commitment to innovation. Klay Thompson, sitting in the front row, nodded in agreement.

There was talk of weight loss and futuristic fabrics, fit and style. The Adidas spokesperson recalled showing the uniforms to Peter Guber. In Gubereque fashion, the Warriors co-owner exclaimed, “Stop, stop! We’re burning the boats. We’re in!”

Then Barnes pulled off his charcoal warmups and showed the first uniform that’ll both see game action (debuting Jan. 22 at home when Golden State faces San Antonio) and look like a t-shirt on top.

 

Maybe modesty isn’t completely true when referring to these uniforms, as they’re significantly tighter up top. It’s a good thing for the Warriors that they don’t employ Glen “Big Baby” Davis or Jared Sullinger. Or perhaps it’s a good thing for Davis and Sullinger that they aren’t Warriors. If you’re a guy with a little extra up top in the “moobs” region, these jerseys aren’t for you. But Barnes (the only Warriors player sponsored by Adidas) seemed to like them. And both Thompson and Jarrett Jack smiled for the cameras too, and they play in Nike shoes.

The shorts are unique, too. The pattern down the sides resembles a spear, and the pinstripes represent the cables seen on the new Bay Bridge (and in the Warriors’ relatively new logo). “I really like the pinstriped look,” Thompson said, “I think they’re really innovative.” Thompson seems to like that word a lot, too.

Barnes told me the shorts feel lighter, allowing him to move quicker. He also said that Charles Jenkins was the only Warrior who expressed reservations about wearing the new jerseys in practice, because “he’s a little bigger build.”

I got a chance to pick up one of the jerseys, and it is certainly light and stretchy. Many have pointed out that the sleeves and color make the Warriors look like they’re leading the Tour de France, and that’s true from a function standpoint as well. I have one road cycling jersey, and the feel was quite similar (although the Warriors jersey doesn’t have any pockets in the back for Clif bars or a cellphone, like my cycling jersey).

Klay Thompson Warriors new uniforms sleevesWill these jerseys make the Warriors more aerodynamic? I guess a better question might be whether they’ll keep them from making jumpers. Based on how the three players looked shooting around after the press conference, the jury is still out. (Thompson and Barnes both got a “nice shot” from Jack after airballs, but overall they made more than they missed.)

The existence of these new alternates isn’t all that surprising — Kentucky wore similar jerseys last year during their title run, and it seems like a lot of NBA players try to cover up as much of their body as possible with compression gear nowadays. Adidas and the Warriors get a little pub, and fans who might be hesitant to rock a standard sleeveless jersey around town might think about grabbing one of these. Better hit the gym first, though.

CONTEST TIME

Today’s press conference got me thinking about a possible question for you guys to answer. We’ll be running contest posts every day from now until Thursday, and on Friday I’ll pick two winners from the comments who’ll receive 10-person pizza parties from Amici’s East Coast Pizzeria.

Question: What’s the best Warriors uniform of all time? 

There are a lot to choose from…

Golden State Warriors uniforms throughout history

You can check out some of the road looks here, and the road version of “The City” (my favorite) here. However, I do have a soft spot for the diagonally-fonted Warriors uniforms from 1988-97. I’m not sure what the Warriors were thinking from 1997-2010, but I’m sure at least a couple people will disagree with me there. Long live Thunder.