National Basketball Association - Charlotte Bobcats
Charlotte Bobcats Unveil Uniforms
 The
Charlotte Bobcats today completed the franchise's
identity with the unveiling of the team's uniforms. The
unique on-court look includes orange as the primary road
jersey with the Bobcats becoming the only team in the
NBA to wear orange jerseys for all away contests.
“Charlotte asked us to create a unique identity, and
this is the final branding piece of our identity puzzle
that makes up the Charlotte Bobcats,” said Ed Tapscott,
president and chief operating officer of the Charlotte
Bobcats, which began their identity launch on June 11,
2003, with the unveiling of the team name, logo and
colors.
The Bobcats Orange road jerseys will bear the
“Charlotte” wordmark, and the team will wear white
jerseys that read “Bobcats” for home games. Both home
and away jerseys incorporate Bobcats Orange with the
team’s other colors of Bobcats Blue, black and silver on
a side panel design. The uniform colors combine with the
wordmark lettering style and its shadowbox effect for a
look that is broadcast friendly and visually appealing.
“The new Charlotte Bobcats uniform is an exciting
combination of classic NBA style and progressive
detailing, and we’re looking forward to seeing it on
court this fall as the Bobcats launch their inaugural
campaign,” said Christopher Arena, senior director of
apparel licensing for the National Basketball
Association, which worked together with the Charlotte
Bobcats, Charlotte clothing designer Cary Mitchell, Tom
O’Grady of Gameplan Branding Group and Reebok as the
architects of the Bobcats identity.
To assure players gain optimal performance benefits
from the new uniforms, the design team incorporated
features that offer flexibility, comfort and
breathability: a wider opening at the jersey’s back
v-neck allows more freedom of movement than other NBA
jerseys do; hidden seams alleviate the chaffing caused
by exposed threads; and diamond mesh fabric inserts on
the side of the uniform allow greater air flow, keeping
the player cooler.
Designers also sought to give players wearing the
uniforms the benefit of moisture control and a sense of
weightlessness. The predominant uniform fabric, called
Shimmer, uses Reebok’s Play Dry advanced moisture
management system that wicks moisture away from the skin
to the outside of the fabric where it quickly
evaporates, preventing the heaviness of perspiration
build up. Additionally, kiss-cut tackle twill lettering
in the team wordmarks and player numbers is lighter in
weight than the layered lettering used by many other NBA
teams.
Durability was a key consideration in fabrication.
Both home and away jerseys have an insert at the front
V-neck, strengthening a seam that typically is at risk
to stretch.
“An NBA jersey has to last through at least 50 games
a season, and the Charlotte Bobcats uniforms were
designed both to endure the rigorous demands of the
sport and to assure a player’s comfort,” said Ken
Thornby, senior director NBA for Reebok, the exclusive
uniform provider of the NBA.
The Charlotte Bobcats on-court warmup program
completes the team’s uniform, including black pants for
both home and away games, a Bobcats Blue top for away
appearances and black top for home contests, as well as
three shooting shirts – one long-sleeve, one
short-sleeve and one sleeveless. The warmup shorts and
shirts were designed by Reebok with color direction from
the Bobcats.
“The Charlotte Bobcats’ new uniform has an attention
to detail that is unparalleled,” said Cary Mitchell of
Cary Mitchell Designs in Charlotte, who designs apparel
for a long list of professional athletes and
celebrities. “It brings together the traditional NBA
uniform look in a fashion-forward and sophisticated
design that fans will enjoy.”
Fans were able to purchase replica jerseys
immediately following the unveiling, with replica
jerseys available exclusively at Belk Department Stores
on Saturday and Sunday, August 21 and 22, 2004. The
newly-introduced replica jerseys will be available at
various Charlotte-area retailers beginning Monday,
August 23, 2004. Fans can also
purchase replica jerseys online through the Bobcats'
official team store
www.ShopBobcats.com.
As part of the uniform introduction the team also
unveiled its secondary logo, which is featured on the
team’s uniforms on the bottom mesh side panel of the
shorts. The mark features a Bobcats Orange side-profile
bobcat head located within a silver basketball, outlined
with the team’s Bobcats Blue and black colors.
“The secondary logo adds another impression to the
teams’ progressive identity,“ said Tom O’Grady of
Gameplan Branding Group, Inc., who was the lead designer
in the development of the new Bobcats brand identity.
“The secondary logo retains the unique profile of the
Bobcats primary mark, but since it does not have the
city or team name, it allows additional flexibility
through all branding touch points.”
Showcasing the new uniforms at the unveiling event at
SouthPark Mall were Charlotte Bobcats players Jason
Kapono and Gerald Wallace, who also signed autographs
for fans. Team mascot Rufus Lynx and the Bobcats Dance
Team performed for the fans in attendance.
The Charlotte Bobcats will cap off their uniform
unveil activities at 7:15 p.m. Saturday night in Fort
Mill, S.C., when the Charlotte Knights Triple-A baseball
team wears authentic Bobcats Orange road jerseys in a
home contest against the Norfolk Tide. This is believed
to be the first time in minor league baseball history
that a team will wear an NBA jersey in place of its
standard uniform top. Each player will wear his normal
baseball number on his jersey, which bears the
“Charlotte” wordmark. A silent auction will be held at
Knights Stadium throughout the game where fans can bid
on the jerseys, which will be signed after the game by
the players that wore them. Proceeds of the auction will
benefit the Bobcats Charitable Foundation.
This article was taken from
www.nba.com/bobcats/. All rights
reserved.
|
