Sixers news: Ben Simmons took it upon himself to bring back black jerseys, Allen Iverson reacts

Ben Simmons played a key role in the Sixers bringing back black jerseys. Franchise legend Allen Iverson has throughts on the new threads.

The Philadelphia 76ers are throwing it back to the Allen Iverson era and the team's iconic black jerseys, albeit with a modern twist. The Sixers recently revealed their 2020-2021 City Edition jerseys along with an accompanying black court ahead of their campaign next season.

Via ESPN:

The @sixers reveal their 2020-21 City Editions jerseys 👀@ZachLowe_NBA talks with Ben Simmons and Iverson about the new threads.

ESPN+:https://t.co/ltb6IdjIvl pic.twitter.com/4YKLuh4RzR

— ESPN (@espn) November 10, 2020

Sixers star Ben Simmons was involved in a teaser on Monday:

Tomorrow… pic.twitter.com/jXy88yS4IQ

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) November 10, 2020

It turns out the two-time All-Star had a hand in the process of making these jerseys:

“I took it upon myself to bring back the black jersey,” he told ESPN via Zach Lowe.

Ben Simmons was finishing up his first month as an active NBA player when he asked Sixers equipment manager Scott Rego why the franchise never wore black anymore. As a kid who grew up in Australia, he spent his childhood idolizing the legendary Allen Iverson, who took the Sixers to a Finals appearance in the 2000-2001 season before losing in five games against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Rego told Simmons to take it up with Chris Heck, the team's president. When Heck landed a job with the Sixers in 2013, he promised never to bring back the black uniforms. However, he encountered opposition from younger team members, and Simmons kept pushing for it.

Simmons wound up tweeting the idea of bringing back the black jerseys at Heck (the tweet is now deleted), who replied that he could help design a jersey if he won Rookie of the Year. Simmons, of course, did wind up winning Rookie of the Year.

So, Simmons got to take part in some jersey design:

“It was really cool to be a part of that, and definitely something I'd do again,” Simmons said. “This was eye-opening, seeing how long the process really is.”

Iverson also voiced out his sentiments regarding the new jerseys:

“I love 'em,” he said. “It's almost bittersweet. You look at them and you imagine yourself playing in them — adding the headband, the wristband, the sleeve, trying to put your flavor on them.”

Hopefully, these new City Edition jerseys will bring more inspiration for the Sixers as they open a new chapter and continue on their aspirations to win a title in the near future.