Fresh off the return of the Allen Iverson-era uniforms, the Sixers have added another look to their season lineup. On Tuesday morning, they unveiled their new City Edition uniforms, a design that should look familiar to longtime fans.
You might recognize this design for one of two reasons. First, the Sixers wore a similar version during the 2019–20 season,
which was cut short due to the pandemic. That version featured a cream base instead of the navy blue seen here. The other reason is that this exact uniform leaked over five years ago, originally believed to be just a concept that never made it to production. Now, years later, it’s clear that concept has finally come to life.
For the most part, this uniform is essentially a color swap of the 2019–20 City Edition. It keeps the same “cracked bell” gold striping along the right side, along with the blue, white and red trim around the arms and neck. The main change is the color base, with the cream tone now used for the “Philadelphia” script and numbers on the front.
On the surface, it’s a solid design. The 2019–20 City Edition was actually a bit underrated, largely because that season was cut short and the team underperformed. It’s a look that never really got the appreciation it deserved. That said, this is yet another new uniform built on an old concept from a previous marketing era. This season, Nike took a “remix” approach with its City Edition jerseys, bringing back older designs with updated colors and subtle tweaks to the details.
Most of the Sixers’ jersey buzz this season has rightfully centered around the Iverson-era throwbacks, and it’s clear these City Editions were on the back burner for a while. That’s reflected in the schedule too, as the Sixers are only set to wear these uniforms four times during the regular season — yes, you read that correctly.
For fans who want to catch a glimpse of this rare uniform live, there will only be a few chances to do so this season:
April 1 vs. Washington Wizards
Nov. 30 vs. Atlanta Hawks
Dec. 2 vs. Washington Wizards
March 14 vs. Portland Trail Blazers
Overall, it’s a decent jersey — not a bad design by any means, but a pretty forgettable one. It feels like a uniform that doesn’t necessarily need to exist. Fans won’t see it often, and when they do, it likely won’t leave much of an impression. Despite featuring a different shade of blue than the team’s usual look, it appears the Sixers won’t have an alternate court to match. According to LockerVision, the NBA’s official outfitting log, these jerseys will be paired with the team’s standard court setup.
In the end, this City Edition uniform feels more like a filler than a statement. It’s clean, it’s safe, and it nods to a past design that never quite got its due, but it doesn’t bring much new to the table either. With the spotlight rightfully on the Iverson-era throwbacks, this jersey will probably fade quietly into the rotation.
