Announced back in June 2015, Nike’s partnership with the NBA begins with the 2017-18 season. Prior to a major launch in early fall, Nike and the NBA release details of four new primary uniforms and give a first glimpse of the league champion’s Association jersey.
Informed by more than 25 years of research on all levels of basketball and insight from current NBA players, the uniform is built on a refined version of the Nike Aeroswift basketball chassis.
Nike tuned the uniform design to the rigors of the league’s increasingly intense 82-game season by employing 3D-body maps of players, including heat and sweat maps. This research led Nike’s designers to make significant changes to the weight, fit and construction of the uniforms — paying special attention to enabling agility.
NBA players, including members of last summer’s gold medal-winning USA Basketball team, tested early versions of the uniforms and provided specific feedback that prompted Nike to further evolve the designs in ways that included moving the armhole, neck and side seams to eliminate distractions for athletes.
