Trail Blazers Unveil 'Earned' Edition Uniforms Commemorating 2020 Playoff Berth
The Trail Blazers will look a bit different against the Phoenix Suns on Thursday, and not just because there's a chance C.J. McCollum plays for the first time since mid-January.
Portland on Wednesday unveiled its "Earned" edition jerseys, a new offering from Nike that commemorates the team's 2019-20 playoff berth. All 15 other teams that participated in the postseason also "earned" another alternate set of uniforms from the Beaverton-based sportswear giant.
Playing on Rip City's notoriously rainy climes, the Blazers' "Earned" jerseys forgo the franchise's familiar black and red color scheme for a muted, monochromatic look of white and grey.
Do those washed-out colors actually evoke Portland's penchant for rain? The Blazers and Nike sure hope so, fully embracing a "storm" motif that conveniently avoids Rip City's rare instances of thunder and lightning.
There's still no official word on McCollum's status for Thursday's tilt with the Suns, by the way. The team's latest official update on his progress from March 5 indicated McCollum would be re-evaluated this week.
Are the Blazers sending a thinly-veiled signal about his availability against Phoenix in the tweet above? Fingers crossed.
The "Earned" edition jerseys are the fifth and final set of uniforms Portland will wear during the 2020-21 season. The "City" edition jerseys, bearing "Oregon" across the chest and evoking the state's topography and natural colors, were unveiled earlier this season. More traditional white, black and red uniforms are permanent fixtures of the Blazers' closet under Nike.
Portland's "Earned" edition jerseys go on sale March 18.