The J-note sculpture outside of the Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City, pictured on Wednesday, Oct. 13, 2021, has been painted black and white as part of a rebranding effort for the team.
SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Jazz has taken on many different looks since their relocation to Salt Lake City in 1979. A rebrand may introduce a new era of uniforms for the 2023 season.
The green jerseys in the early 1980’s served as a solid transition from New Orleans. The purple jerseys that were introduced in the mid-80s, and stayed until the mid-90s, helped build Utah’s basketball culture.
The purple and blue jerseys with the mountain background will always be a legendary NBA jersey. The prominently blue jerseys from the Deron Williams era are often forgotten.
All of these lead to the current jerseys with the navy blue, yellow, and green color scheme.
Craig Miller, a Dallas-based radio host, tweeted this image during game 3 of the first round playoff series against the Dallas Mavericks. It is yet to be confirmed, but others have posted similar leaks.
This tweet from JazzNationNews shows the same white and yellow jersey from Craig Miller’s tweet, with a sneak peek at a blue jersey and purple shorts.
The leak from Craig Miller featured jerseys with no blue or purple, two colors that have been a staple of Jazz basketball. This was met with hesitation from Jazz fans. Ryan Smith, Utah Jazz owner, was quick to quell these concerns.
He also responded to the new look at the Jazz’s practice facility.
A fan replied to this tweet with disappointment, proclaiming the color scheme was an attempt at copying the Brooklyn Nets. Smith responded with a meme that poked fun at the history of the Jazz’s color schemes.
It is safe to assume that there will be at least one purple jersey in the Jazz’s lineup for 2023. Dwyane Wade, NBA champion and part-owner of the Jazz, had this to say about the rebrand last summer.
The Jazz also put new portraits of players below the arena. The photos all have a yellow background, which sparked questions on its relation to the rebrand.
With the Jazz currently down 3-2 in their first-round matchup against the Dallas Mavericks, the team could be facing big changes both in personnel and appearance.
