Ranking and analyzing all 30 NBA City edition uniforms
16. Memphis Grizzlies
The Grizzlies, a team with a standard light and dark blue color scheme and upgradeable uniforms, saw an opportunity to design a transcedescent City edition. Without an obvious direction to go, they harkened back to Memphis’ civil rights history on the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination in the city.
This simplistic set, lacking the Grizzlies’ blue and, thankfully, an ad, highlights a famous 1968 protest in Memphis, which is why King was in the city when he was assassinated. The protest took place early that year against dangerous working conditions and unfair pay for African-American workers. Protesters held signs saying “I Am A Man,” which is where the black and white design comes from.
Credit to the Grizzlies, who didn’t force a black or gray alternate and didn’t push another cheesy city slogan. This uniform ranks squarely in the middle of these rankings because it doesn’t have the aesthetic qualities of some other City editions, but that’s not their point. They have real cultural significance, a whole lot more than “Buzz City” or “Rip City” jerseys do.