Starting in the 2017-18 season, NBA teams will welcome a slight alteration to their uniforms by allowing large corporations to brand their jerseys. Although some may feel the NBA has become too commercialized, but NBA players should gladly accept the sponsorship as this is partly the reason why they have received increased salaries over the last couple of years. Although NBA players and teams are taking a W in this matter, some jerseys are taking an L with the look of their gear. Below are my ratings of NBA jersey sponsors so far
WINNERS:
Cleveland Cavaliers - Cleveland was able to sign a contract with Goodyear for a whopping $10M / year. In addition, we all know LeBron is about his fresh kicks and the Goodyear logo is literally a flying shoe
Detroit Pistons – First of, who wouldn't want to be sponsored by the lead NBA apparel brand. Nike is one of the leaders in providing aerodynamic sports gear and that is exactly what they are going to provide the Pistons:
Charlotte Hornets – Sponsored by minor team owner and Air Highness himself, any NBA player would gladly rock this jersey
LOSERS:
Brooklyn Nets – Infor was able to alter their logo to match the team's Black and White Style but it’s a shame Infor had to choose between poorly managed Knicks or poorly managed Nets – they probably saved a lot of money going with Brooklyn I guess
Toronto Raptors – Hold my beer while I sign up for some Sun Life Life Insurance…
Sacramento Kings – Sponsored by the best Almonds in the local supermarket…oh great...
We're still waiting on a handful of teams to decide on their jersey deals. Not surprisingly, the Golden State Warriors have put out a market demand for $15-20M per year for their attire but we'll just have to wait and see who will fork up that cash.
Share your thoughts on who what you think of the NBA jersey sponsorships so far!
Cheers!
