NBA jerseys to feature gold patches for title teams
LAS VEGAS -- NBA jerseys next season will have gold patches recognizing past championship teams.
The small, rectangular tabs feature an image of the Larry O'Brien trophy and appear on the back of the jersey's collar, above the league's Jerry West logo, which has been moved from the left shoulder on the front to above the player's last name on the back.
Each franchise with at least one title gets the trophy patch. Franchises with multiple titles get patches that include a "2x" or "3x" or more alongside the trophy.
ESPN.com's Uni Watch first reported the uniform change on Tuesday, citing an Adidas catalog. Jerseys bearing the patches were then spotted at the Las Vegas hotel where the NBA is holding its summer meetings.
Samples of the new patches are below.
The Pistons' jersey patch bears a "3x" in recognition of the franchise's titles in 1989, 1990 and 2004.
The Spurs' jersey patch clearly needs to be updated to reflect San Antonio's 2014 title.
The Blazers, whose lone title came in 1977, have a jersey patch without any modifier.
The Nuggets have yet to win a title since joining the NBA in 1976 and therefore do no have a collar patch.