GO SPURS GO
San Antonio Spurs launch new retro uniforms honoring 50 years in NBA
Carter Bryant and Dylan Harper sport the new Classic Edition uniforms.
Honking has returned to the city and the Silver Dancers are back on the court, so it seems fitting that the San Antonio Spurs’ latest Classic Edition uniform should also be a throwback. The team’s newly released alternate jerseys pay homage to the 1976 merger of the American Basketball Association with the NBA.
“From the original design worn at HemisFair Arena to the special court with the ABA 50th anniversary logo, this season-long celebration will connect generations of fans to our past while carrying that legacy forward into the future,” said Jordan Mandelkorn, VP of marketing, creative, and retail at Spurs Sports & Entertainment, in a release.
The uniform celebrates the Spurs' earliest days in San Antonio after the Dallas Chaparrals relocated in 1973. The team could have had a much different jersey. The ownership group briefly considered calling them the Gunslingers before adopting the current name — inspired by either a contest or because one of the owners hailed from the small town of Spur, Texas.
Once renamed, the Spurs dropped the Chaparrals’ red, white, and blue uniforms in favor of the now-familiar silver, black, and white. The Classic Editions uniform returns many of the ‘70s design details, including the original arched Spurs wordmark and the black diamond backdrop framing the logo on the shorts.
The uniform was introduced in a video starring Dylan Harper and Carter Bryant. Starting with a Grand Theft Auto-like animation, the cartoon morphs into filmed footage narrated by Spurs legend and ABA alum George “the Iceman” Gervin. The soundtrack? War’s “Low Rider,” which had just hit radio playlists in 1975.
The Spurs Fan Shop is currently taking preorders for the jerseys, with rookie jerseys from Maliq Brown and Ja’Kobi Gillespie already selling quickly. Fans can also see the uniforms in action at select Spurs games.
