At long last, the Philadelphia 76ers seem to finally be bringing back the black uniforms from the Allen Iverson era. There’s no official word yet but the team seems to be saying as much as it can without actually saying it.
The 76ers hinted strongly at the return of the black jerseys that they wore in the late 1990s and early 2000s in a tribute video to Tyrese Maxey. The young All-Star signed a max contract this offseason, holding off on signing one when he was first eligible so that Philly could maintain as much cap space as possible while also blossoming into an All-Star. The front office put the cap space to great use, signing Paul George, the biggest free agent the Sixers have signed in the modern era and someone who instantly makes the team much better.
As the team celebrated the one they call “The Franchise” with special video messages and a gallery of Maxey's accomplishments, it also dropped some not-so-subtle hints about what one of their alternate jerseys will be for the 2024-25 campaign.
The efforts the 76ers made to honor Maxey are incredible. His agent, Rich Paul, said that he had never seen such a great display. Joel Embiid, Daryl Morey, Nick Nurse and several other key members of the organization showed their appreciation for Maxey.
Along with Maxey being gifted a black throwback jersey with his name and number, there was also a mock SLAM Magazine cover with the tagline, “The fans asked & Philly answered. 76ers classic edition.” There’s no way they can publicly acknowledge how much fans want these and not deliver, right?
76ers tease black throwback jerseys for 2024-25 season
UPDATE: According to Alexandra Simon of CBS News Philadelphia, the 76ers are planning to bring back the Iverson-era black jerseys but they will not be used for the 2024-25 season.
The black jerseys that read “Sixers” across the front with the basketball flying underneath are some of the most recognizable hoops threads ever. Iverson himself wore them when he stepped over Ty Lue in the NBA Finals. They were the uniform that is perhaps most associated with his prime years. After honoring Iverson with a statue outside of their practice facility, it makes sense for the Sixers to bring back the jerseys now. It also makes sense because, with the addition of George, the team's trajectory is exciting fans again.
The Sixers have had black alternate jerseys previously (in the 2020-21 season) and taken inspiration from their past to create a very popular alternate jersey (in the 2021-22 season, known colloquially as “the Spectrum jerseys,” which used several elements of the old arena). But rehashing these black uniforms would make fans extremely happy. After a few City Edition uniforms that generated mixed reviews, these will become an instant classic all over again.
When the Philadelphia Eagles brought back their Kelly Green throwback uniforms, fans camped out for hours and built their whole days around buying the jerseys once they were made available for purchase. It’s not clear if these jerseys will elicit that level of reaction but they would become one of the most popular jerseys in all of Philadelphia. They would become beloved instantly and worn until the end of time, just like the Eagles' Kelly Green threads and the Phillies' baby blue throwbacks.
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