To celebrate the franchise’s 50th anniversary next season, the Spurs are returning to their roots to bring back throwback threads first made famous by George Gervin and Co.
The state of Texas is in a state of emergency. An excessive heat warning is currently in full effect, causing sidewalks to sizzle all over the Lone Star land.
But on Monday morning, as highs hit 106 around The Alamo, the San Antonio Spurs somehow stayed cool, calling in The Iceman for a public service announcement.
George Gervin, the face of the franchise 50 years ago and still a staple in Spurs culture today, took to a podium with the same breezy brazenness he possessed on court. With a smile on his face and a gold watch on his wrist, the Hall of Fame forward froze time, unveiling the team’s 1970’s throwback tanks set to be worn during the 2022-23 season.
“This has always been my favorite,” Gervin said at the press conference. “I always loved it and I’m so proud of being a part of it. This is special.”
Bringing back the infamous black-on-black look, these Spurs Classic Edition uniforms coincide with the franchise’s 50-year anniversary in 2023. Gervin, the scoring swingman who helped take the team from ABA underachiever to eventual NBA powerhouse, held up the alternate tanks that hail from his heyday in the 1970s and ’80s, also offering a look at the diamond design shorts that complete the set.
Historically, the Spurs have worn silver throwbacks during the days of Duncan, Ginobli, and Parker, favoring digi-camo alternative kits in the ’10s and fiesta-flavored City Edition styles as of late. With the return of this truly classic style for 2022-23, a half-century of Spurs fans are connected through cloth as they enter the upcoming season as one of the league’s youngest teams.
“The Spurs have been around here for 50 years and I’ve pretty much been with them for all these years,” Gervin said. “There’s a lot of good memories, and one of them is coming back. Just think about our fans — we’re talking about 50 years ago. They were the best then and they’re the best now.”
For those keeping track at home, the San Antonio Spurs are the latest team to unveil new threads for next season. In the spring, the Washington Wizards revealed new City Edition uniforms playing off the local cherry blossoms that define the region. Recently, the Utah Jazz rebranded to black and volt while also bringing back their famed purple mountain motif.
Early leaks suggest that aside from the Spurs and Jazz, teams such as the Nets, Warriors, Suns, Heat, and Pistons will be amongst the franchises sporting throwback looks. Reports even bring rumblings of the 76ers bringing back their black throwbacks for their 2023-24 campaign.
This all falls in line with the NBA and their partners at Nike leveraging their joint powers and rising interest in fan gear. Last year, Nike and the NBA upped the ante on their Classic Edition jerseys as part of the league’s 75th-anniversary celebration through storytelling and greater detailing. Famed franchises such as the Warriors, Boston Celtics, and New York Knicks donned throwback uniforms on select nights, made nuanced by nostalgic cuts, satin sheen, and heritage Nike branding on the shoulder.
This season, the San Antonio Spurs join the throwback festivities in original fashion for the first time since the new Nike deal. Nostalgia aside, the tanks bare Self Financial patches as a nod to their new partner while, a sepia-toned NBA logo on the back-center of the jersey further plays up the vintage vibes.
Right now, the future of the Spurs is on full display in Las Vegas as the likes of Jeremy Sochan, Josh Primo, Malaki Branham, and Blake Wesley compete in NBA Summer League. Soon, fans will be able to see the new-look Spurs compete in the throwback threads on select nights in both home and away action as the season starts this fall. Until then, expect the Spurs Classic Edition jerseys, shorts, and corresponding apparel to launch this September at the team’s official Fan Shop.
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