Charlotte Hornets Unveil New Retro Uniforms for 2020-21 NBA Season

The Hornets are bringing back the double pinstripes for their new uniforms

Alonzo Mourning of the Charlotte Hornets grabs a rebound in 1992.
Alonzo Mourning of the Charlotte Hornets grabs a rebound in 1992.
Focus on Sport/Getty Images

When the Charlotte Hornets take the floor for the start of the 2020-21 NBA season, they’ll be wearing uniforms that call back to the jerseys the team wore from 1997-2002.

Unveiled on Monday, the new Association and Icon Edition jerseys feature double pinstripes that are reminiscent of a version of the uniforms that were worn by the original Hornets. The difference is the pinstripes are all one color in the new version of the jerseys. 

“This is part of an effort to evolve the look through the use of a monochromatic design that incorporates only the team’s traditional primary colors of teal, purple and white,” according to NBA.com. “The white Association Edition features teal elements with purple accents, while the teal Icon Edition has white elements with purple accents.”

“I refer to it as a wearable anthology of sorts,” said Kris Bazen, senior director of creative services with the Hornets. “You see the fingerprints of all the previous generations of Hornets uniforms. I really think the inspiration was to distill this uniform down to the core elements of what the Hornets brand is about. In addition, it was inspired by basketball spirit and tradition in the Carolinas. This is really a homage to that in a lot of ways.”

Both varieties of the new uniforms feature Nike’s Jordan Brand logo on the right chest and the logo of franchise partner LendingTree on the left chest.

“We saw an opportunity to take another step forward and really get closer to that original Hornet uniform and its classy, iconic state,” said Seth Bennett, Charlotte’s senior VP of consumer engagement. “I think we struck the right balance. Certainly, the double pinstripe was extremely popular in the uniforms that ran from 1997 to the early 2000’s. I think that’s the base. We wanted to have a streamlined, clean design and what that allows us to do is sustain the test of time. There’s a chance that this uniform may not be refreshed in five years. I really like the characteristics and the way we modernized it. It’s not clunky or heavy, but light and modern.”

In addition to the uniforms, the Hornets also revealed a new court that the team will use once next season begins.

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