The Indiana Pacers just unveiled their new “statement” jerseys for the 2026-27 season. For anyone who has not kept up with the naming conventions Nike introduced a decade ago, the old “home”, “away”, and “alternate” jerseys are now called “association”, “icon”, and “statement”. The Pacers’ new threads are an ode to the 90’s and look fantastic. With Tyrese Haliburton coming back from injury and a revamped squad in a wide-open East, it makes sense why they would switch it up now. I love the new (old?)
look of the pinstripes, and, honestly, it makes me a little jealous. The Mavericks have not made any such jersey announcement, which got me thinking: when was the last time Dallas changed their “core three” uniforms?
The answer is 2022-23, when they swapped their navy “statement” jerseys for… navy jerseys with bigger letters? And that is just the last time they literally changed a uniform. Per basketballjerseyarchive.com, their home and away jerseys have been nearly identical white and baby blue threads since 2010-11. And their alternate (which has been referred to as the statement jersey previously) has been some version of navy since the year after. If you quickly scroll through that website, the first three jerseys dating back 15 seasons are nearly indistinguishable. To say Dallas is in need of new uniforms would be underselling the desperation.
To be fair, new is not always better. I look at the Raptors’ rebrand in 2020-21 as a prime example. Who asked for a triangular band across the chest, and why were they not shut down? But Dallas’ jerseys are growing stale, and the blues (both navy and light blue) are uninspiring and boring. The whites are okay, but we have been looking at them for over 20 years (they are the longest unchanged uniform the Mavericks have, introduced in 2001). Something new, even with the risk of pulling a 2011 Wizards or 2020 Raptors, is long overdue for the city and fans of Dallas.
The Mavericks aren’t the only team that has had little turnover through the years, however. San Antonio has effectively had the same white and black home and away outfits since 1978. But the Spurs have won many rings in those jerseys. They are a pillar in the history of the NBA, and it is understandable why not changing them due to legacy would make sense. The Mavericks won a championship in their light blues, of course, but their most recent Finals appearance will be remembered in the city edition black jerseys, and their first Finals loss was in the white ones. The legacy and tradition are not there as consistently to justify keeping the three colorways for years to come.
Plus, they have a chance for something most teams do not: redemption. No, I am not talking about winning a championship, though of course those expectations will come with time. I am talking about the opportunity to rebrand between eras. They had a layup marketing pitch when Dirk Nowitzki retired. New jerseys to be associated with young Luka Doncic made too much sense. Yet, they kept the same ones Dirk wore nearly his whole career. Now, as the franchise transitions from Doncic to Cooper Flagg, they can right their wrongs.
What the players wear matters. When you see the home whites or the light blues, you think of Dirk. When the navy jerseys with comically large letters are out, Luka Doncic comes to mind. Flagg deserves the same opportunity. Get him something fresh and memorable and wear them in big games so we will always be reminded of the good times he brought. Plus, the fans deserve something new to look at on a nightly basis.
