When Nike officially took over as the NBA's new jersey manufacturers, they did it with huge fanfare. There was a huge ceremony and press push about how their jerseys would change the game. The jerseys are supposedly lighter, more comfortable, and can potentially help players play better. That's what Nike sold them as.
Then Tyler Ennis saw his jersey rip in the Lakers' preseason opener. LeBron James and Draymond Green have both seen their jerseys rip. Ben Simmons saw his ripped off as recently as Saturday night. Something appears to be up with these jerseys. Nike, seeing this, has acknowledged there is a problem and it's something they're trying to fix.
"Nike has always put the athlete at the center of everything we do and we have worked hard to create the most advanced uniforms in the history of the NBA," the company said in the statement. "They are lighter and deliver great mobility and sweat wicking characteristics, and the feedback from players has been overwhelmingly positive. However, during game play we have seen a small number of athletes experience significant jersey tears. We are very concerned to see any game day tear and are working to implement a solution that involves standardizing the embellishment process and enhancing the seam strength of game day jerseys. The quality and performance of our products are of utmost importance and we are working with the NBA and teams to avoid this happening in the future."
These jersey rips aren't really a huge deal in terms of basketball. It's more of an inconvenience than anything else, but it can't be good marketing for Nike to have their jerseys being ripped on TV every other week. They might be comfortable, but the need to be sturdy if fans are going to be dropping hundreds of dollars on them. Let's hope they reach a fix soon, but what will happen to all the current jerseys they've made? A charity auction might be a good idea. They'll become a collector's item in no time.
