Grizzlies Unveil Gray Concrete-Style ‘City Edition’ Court

The Memphis Grizzlies have unveiled a gray concrete-style "City Edition" court.
Grizzlies Unveil Gray Concrete-Style ‘City Edition’ Court
Grizzlies Unveil Gray Concrete-Style ‘City Edition’ Court /
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The Memphis Grizzlies are taking the game of basketball back to its roots. 

On Tuesday, the team unveiled the design for its special “City Edition” court that will be used for seven home games this season. It looks pretty plain at first glance—especially in comparison to the gaudy court designs that teams across the league used during the in-season tournament—but there’s a reason for its simplicity. The slate-gray design is meant to be an homage to the blacktop courts that the majority of basketball players used to play on in their youth. 

Here’s a closer look at what the court is expected to look like. 

The all-gray playing surface is tough to pull off. The first example that comes to mind is the gray turf at Eastern Michigan’s football stadium, which can look awfully dull, especially during night games. But the Grizzlies’ version actually looks pretty good. The mottled pattern definitely evokes the simple concrete courts that can be found all across the United States. 

The court will be used when the Grizzlies wear their City Edition uniforms, which they’ve already worn on a few occasions this season. Those uniforms are black with a minimalist “MEM” logo composed entirely of straight lines. The first game featuring the gray court and City Edition unis will be on Thursday against the Chicago Bulls


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Dan Gartland
DAN GARTLAND

Dan Gartland is the writer and editor of Sports Illustrated’s flagship daily newsletter, SI:AM, covering everything an educated sports fan needs to know. He joined the SI staff in 2014, having previously been published on Deadspin and Slate. Gartland, a graduate of Fordham University, is a former Sports Jeopardy! champion (Season 1, Episode 5).