George Shinn stuck in Charlotte
Just when I thought NBA uniforms were starting to become jazzier and more cutting edge, the New Orleans Hornets go and set the league back 20 years with their “new” uniforms.
Literally.
Look familiar?
It’s a shame Chris Paul, the game’s best point guard, is now forced to play in the league’s worst uniforms. Not that the old Hornets uniforms were anything special. The gold alternates (more like mustard yellow) were downright awful. But at least they were original.
But Chad Shinn, Hornets executive officer of the board and George Shinn’s son, apparently couldn’t care less about originality, calling the new-old look “classy.”
“It’s sharp,” said Chad Shinn, “and it just shows the style and smoothness of New Orleans. I think they turned out great.
“Our jerseys here have looked kind of bland and thrown together. Now we can give people in New Orleans their own jerseys and own identities.”
I wish them luck selling those. Really, I do. Chris Paul deserves to see his name continue atop the list of the NBA’s best selling jerseys. He ranked 14th during the 2006-07 season and fifth last season.
Why does Oklahoma City care? Well, aside from the thousands of fans who will continue following the Hornets even as the No-Names begin their inaugural season in OKC, the Hornets are the second team to unveil new uniforms this summer. I would presume OKC is next.
Minnesota is the other team, and the Atlanta Hawks switched uniforms last summer. Before the Hornets unveiled their new-old look, that cutting edge trend was seen in both the Wolves and Hawks’ threads and perhaps could indicate what path OKC might be on.
-DM-
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