The Charlotte Hornets' new-uniform unveiling Thursday wasn't just a glimpse into Charlotte's future; it was a glimpse into the entire NBA's future.
The Hornets' uniforms had the official NBA logo on the rear neckline of their jerseys, rather than on the upper right side of the chest area on traditional NBA jerseys.
Michael Jordan would rather pay Nike to design uniforms that get them free from original Charlotte Hornets designer
ESPN is reporting, however, that all 30 NBA teams will move the league's logo to the rear neckline. And for good reason.
"The move is sure to fuel speculation that the NBA is preparing to move ahead with its long-planned program of jersey advertising," the ESPN article stated. "Removing the league logo from the front of the jersey will clear more space for an ad patch and remove what would otherwise be a competing visual icon.
"Annual revenue from jersey ads has been estimated to be in the $100 million range."
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in March that ads on jerseys were inevitable.
"It just creates that much more of an opportunity for our marketing partners to get that much closer to our fans and to our players," he said, as reported by adage.com. "It gives us an opportunity just to have deeper integration when it comes to those forms of sponsorship. ... Increasingly as we see Champion's League and English Premier League televised in the U.S., I think it's going to become more acceptable and more commonplace for our fans as well."
According to CBSSports.com, players are "cautiously open" to the idea because of the revenue it could generate but media and fans are opposed to it.
Wonder which side is going to win that argument?
Do you think the NBA should put ads on the front of their jerseys? Comment below or tell us @SportsWN.
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