New Utah Jazz jerseys for the 2022-23 season.
SALT LAKE CITY – As if fans of the Utah Jazz didn’t have enough to debate about and fume over in their off-season (trade rumors, who the next head coach might be), on Friday the franchise unveiled new uniforms for the upcoming season that have been met with a lot of criticism on social media. The new jerseys feature combinations of yellow, black and white which are stark departures from the team’s traditional (and original) purple, gold, blue and green pallet that tied the franchise to its New Orleans and Mardi Gras origins. However, the team announced it will also be dusting off the Purple Mountain jersey which was primarily worn by the team during their multiple trips to the NBA Finals in the late 1990s.
“Purple is back and here to stay,” said Jim Olson, president of the Utah Jazz in a release. “This uniform collection features the return of our cornerstone color purple, which will be integral to our new designs in future Jazz seasons. Purple is beloved by our fan base and lives at the core of our identity. Alongside our newly painted courts, these fresh yet familiar looks speak to our great history and dynamic future.”
The release by the team made the purple jersey the primary focus of the updated look, but it is clear the real story is about the yellow and black.
“The white and black uniforms symbolize the white and black keys on a piano, a key figure in the history of Jazz music,” the release explained. “The yellow jersey represents the spotlight designated to the greatest performers in history, a nod to the fact that Utah embraces being in the spotlight with all eyes watching.”
The team has been making subtle moves over the last year to prepare fans for this shift, such as updating color schemes inside the Zions Bank Basketball Campus to black and white and changing the color of Jazz note statue in front of Vivint Arena to yellow and black. Ahead of Friday’s announcement the team colored the statue in purple.
The team also announced new looks for the Larry H. Miller Court.
What is being described as the “Core” court will feature the iconic Note symbol in the middle of the court in black, along with the paint and sidelines primarily in black. The wood paneling of the court will be angled rather than the typical horizontal look seen around the NBA. The restricted area near the basket is highlighted in yellow, and the court will also feature the all-star game logo at center court where players check into the game.
The alternate court will feature the purple mountain logo at center court along with purple sidelines and paint area.
“We wanted to try to be innovative in our approach to the design, which is something we’ve been cognizant of in everything we do,” Design Director Ben Barnes said in the release. “With the new core court, that meant looking at some new ways to do common elements. … With the updated mountain court, it meant finding ways to merge elements from the past with those of the present.”
Former NBA 6th Man of the Year Jordan Clarkson modeled the jerseys in the team’s release and in a promotional video.
See the new jersey and court designs here: