Ranking and analyzing all 30 NBA City edition uniforms
22. Charlotte Hornets
Charlotte, not to be outdone by the Wizards, went black over black for their City alternate. It’s not as egregious as Washington’s — primarily because black on black is more readable than white on white — but it’s far from a positive for a team with an otherwise very good set.
The Buzz City slogan is something they’ve used before, and while it’s not as bad as some other team marketing buzzwords (looking at you, Cavs), it isn’t necessary.
Charlotte’s insistence on wearing a black alternate is puzzling. Light blue and black is a beautiful combination, so those alts will succeed individually every time, but uniforms are part of a larger concept, and a team that heavily uses a color that does not go well with black (like their shade of purple) should not spring on a black-for-black-sake jersey. Their unique blue and purple does too well by itself to be intruded upon by an ulterior non-white color.
Had the numbers been blue or white, this design probably would move a few spots up on its aesthetic merits. But flaws remain no matter what due to its unfortunate contrast with the rest of the team’s set. Try something different next time, Hornets.