The NBA Christmas Day slate of games is always a gift, but a certain tradition has been missing from the holiday season in recent years: Christmas jerseys.
So, what happened?
The answer is simple: Nike took over the NBA’s uniform contract from Adidas in 2017 and did not continue the festive looks of its predecessor.
Bah humbug.
Despite the absence, Nike offers a variety of uniform combinations with its four jersey editions: Association, Icon, City and Statement.
But that hasn’t stopped fans and players from missing the yuletide attire.
Last year, LeBron James, who will play on Christmas for the 19th season in a row this year, weighed in on the matter.
Not having Xmas day unis anymore really sucks! That was a great feeling walking into the locker room and seeing those. It was literally like receiving a 🎁! Whomp whomp! 🤷🏾♂️
— LeBron James (@KingJames) December 25, 2024
Nike, undeterred by the Los Angeles Lakers star’s plea, does not have a plan for the fad to return.
“We like the assortment we have now. The storytelling we’re able to tell is really robust,” Nike said in 2021, per Nick DePaula.
Let’s take a walk down memory (or candy cane) lane to revisit the short-lived holiday ensembles:
2008-11: Snowflakes
It all began with a white snowflake around the logo on the front of teams’ jerseys. The league also made an effort to feature teams with primarily red and green colors.
2012: Big color
This monochromatic color scheme formally introduced the holiday trend on the 65th anniversary of Christmas Day NBA games.
2013: Big logo
The large, centered logo was intended to be the look’s focal point, but the sleeves ended up taking most of the attention. Although the uniforms were 26% lighter than the traditional NBA jersey, players claimed the extra fabric affected their shooting. The T-shirt jersey also made an appearance in the All-Star Game.
Overall, these were not received well by NBA X, including Dallas Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki.
Call me old school but these jerseys with sleeves are awful…..
— Dirk Nowitzki (@swish41) December 25, 2013
2014: First-name basis
For the first time in this trend, the back of the jersey was the standout feature. Players’ first names were placed on a panel below their numbers for this edition’s defining design.
2015: Christmas cards
This year’s jerseys were inspired by greeting cards with seasonal script with cursive lettering. This design was by far the most beloved of the collection.
2016: Christmas cards II
The style was so popular that the festive font returned for a second — and final — year.