An NBA jersey always belongs to an edition: Association, Icon, Statement, or City. These four names, introduced with the 2017-2018 season, replaced the old home and away jerseys. They explain why the same team plays in white one night, in its primary color the next, and then in a design no one had seen the previous season.
For fans, the distinction matters. L edition indicates whether it is the team’s standard jersey, its alternate, or a series that may never return in exactly the same form. It changes how you wear it, give it as a gift, or collect it. This guide explains each edition, teaches you how to identify it at a glance in a photo, then helps you choose, with real examples, from the store’s NBA jersey collection.
Association = the white jersey, Icon = the jersey in the team’s primary color, Statement = the alternate jersey (Jordan logo on the shoulder since 2020-2021), City = a design inspired by the city, updated every season.
- Since 2017-2018, there have been no home or away jerseys: the home team chooses its uniform, and the opponent wears a contrasting jersey.
- The shoulder logo helps tell them apart: the Nike swoosh on Association, Icon, and City, and the Jordan logo on Statement.
- Classic (retro), Earned (reserved for playoff teams), and All-Star jerseys are exceptions to this system.
- For a first jersey, Icon or Association are reliable choices; City is more for collectors.
- The NBA jerseys in the store range from S to 2XL, with a basketball-specific size guide.
Why NBA jerseys no longer have home and away versions
Because the NBA dropped this distinction in 2017, when Nike became the league’s outfitter: since then, uniforms have been grouped into editions, and the home team decides which one to wear.
Before that date, the rule was simple: white at home, color on the road, and sometimes a third alternate jersey.
Starting with the 2017-2018 season, the league and its new apparel supplier replaced this terminology with four editions. L’Association brings back the traditional white jersey. L’Icon brings back the old away jersey in the franchise’s primary color. The Statement becomes the official alternate jersey. Finally, the City draws inspiration from the city and its culture; its first series arrived partway through the 2017-2018 season.
The selection rule changed along with the names. For each home game, the home team chooses which edition to wear, and the visiting team picks a contrasting uniform from its own range. So it’s now commonplace to see a team play in white on the road or in color in front of its fans.
The jersey no longer says where the team plays: it says what story the team wants to tell that night.
The great jerseys from before 2017, worn by Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and Allen Iverson, belong to the old system, and our selection of the most iconic NBA jerseys in history tells the story of several of them.
The editionsAssociation, Icon, Statement, City: NBA jersey editions in detail
Click an edition to see what sets it apart and two examples available in the store.
Association: the white jersey
L’The Association edition is the team’s white jersey, the direct heir to the traditional home jersey. Every team has one. White serves as the background, while the franchise’s colors appear only in the lettering, numbers, collar, and side panels. It’s the most understated edition, and often the easiest to wear outside an arena.
- White background, with the team’s colors as accents.
- Team or city name across the chest in its usual font.
- Nike swoosh on the shoulder.
Icon: the team's color
LThe Icon edition dresses the team in its primary color: Celtics green, Knicks blue, Spurs black. It's the former away jersey, now the franchise's signature jersey, the one you can recognize from a distance and see most often in the stands. Its design changes much less frequently than the City edition's, making it a lasting purchase.
- Base in the team's dominant color.
- Team or city name, with no particular embellishments.
- Nike swoosh on the shoulder.
Statement: the alternate with the Jordan logo
LThe Statement edition is the team's alternate jersey, often darker or more unexpected than the two classic ones. Since the 2020-2021 season, the Jordan logo (the silhouette of a player leaping) has replaced the Nike Swoosh on it for all 30 teams in the league. It's therefore the easiest jersey to identify in a photo, as long as you look at the shoulder.
- Alternative color: gray, black, red, purple, or midnight blue, depending on the team.
- Jordan logo on the shoulder, in place of the Nike Swoosh.
- Lettering sometimes differs: the city instead of the nickname, or vice versa.
City: the city jersey, refreshed every season
L’édition City rend hommage à la ville de l’équipe, à son histoire ou à sa culture, et une nouvelle série sort à chaque saison. Elle est surtout portée lors d’une sélection de matchs à domicile, ce qui la rend plus rare sur le terrain. Les Warriors de 2025-2026 portent ainsi « The Town », surnom d’Oakland, l’ancienne ville du club, au-dessus d’un chêne stylisé. Les Lakers de 2024-2025 ont affiché « Lake Show », le surnom des équipes des années 1990, sur un dégradé du noir au violet. À Denver, le chiffre 5280 rappelle l’altitude de la ville en pieds, soit un mile : on le retrouve sur le maillot 5280 blanc de Nikola Jokić comme sur sa version noire barrée de montagnes.
- Freeform design: nickname, number, landmark, or new color.
- Nike swoosh on the shoulder.
- A new design each season, rarely reissued identically.
Classic: a jersey from the past returns
L’édition Classic réédite un ancien maillot de l’équipe. Elle n’est pas distribuée à toutes les franchises chaque année : huit équipes en ont reçu une dès 2017-2018, d’autres ont suivi selon les saisons et les anniversaires. En 2025-2026, les 76ers de Philadelphie ressortent ainsi le maillot noir de l’époque Allen Iverson, pour les 25 ans de l’équipe de 2000-2001, championne de la Conférence Est.
- Design, typography, and colors from another decade.
- Nike swoosh on the shoulder.
- A special release tied to an anniversary or a defining era.
NBA jersey editions comparison chart
One team is all it takes to understand the system. In 2025-2026, the Philadelphia 76ers have five different jerseys, one for each edition, each in its own color.
One team, five jerseys: the 76ers in 2025-2026| Edition | Dominant color | Shoulder logo | Key takeaways |
|---|---|---|---|
| Association | White | Nike | L’the successor to the home jersey |
| Icon | The team’s primary color | Nike | L’the most recognizable former away jersey |
| Statement | Alternate, often dark | Jordan | The official alternate jersey |
| City | Unrestricted, inspired by the city | Nike | A new design every season |
| Classic | That of a vintage jersey | Nike | A reissue of a vintage jersey |
The Charlotte Hornets have worn the Jordan logo on their jerseys since 2017. So for them, the shoulder alone isn’t enough to identify the Statement edition: look at the color and lettering.
How to identify an NBA jersey edition from a photo
Check the background color, shoulder logo and chest lettering in that order: these three clues are enough in most cases. The logo is on the player’s right shoulder, which is on the left when you’re looking at the front of the jersey.
It’s most likely an Association edition. Still, check the lettering: some City and Classic jerseys are white, but their lettering is then unusual.
It’s a Statement edition, except for the Hornets, on an All-Star jersey or on some national team jerseys, such as France’s.
Most often, it’s a City edition, such as “Lake Show” or “5280.” Association jerseys almost always display the team or city name.
Vintage typography, a drawn basketball, period colors: it’s a Classic, or a retro reissue of a jersey from before 2017.
The club’s primary color, its usual name, and the Nike Swoosh: you’ve got an Icon.
Take the Boston Celtics. Jayson Tatum’s green jersey, marked “Boston” with a Nike Swoosh, is an Icon. Jaylen Brown’s black jersey, marked “Celtics” in green with the Jordan logo, is a Statement. Same team, same season, two editions that the shoulder alone is enough to tell apart. The club’s entire lineup is featured in the Boston Celtics collection.
Jersey titles rarely mention the edition, and the color listed can be misleading. Always check the front and back photos before choosing: the color, logo, and lettering leave no room for doubt.
Classic, Earned, All-Star: NBA jerseys beyond the four editions
Some jerseys fall outside the core four. Rarer and tied to an event or an era, they’re often the ones collectors seek out.
L’édition Earned, reserved for playoff teams
L’édition Earned was designed as a reward: only teams that qualified for the previous season’s playoffs were eligible. There were only two waves. The first, unveiled in December 2018, outfitted the 16 teams in the 2018 playoffs. The second, in 2020-2021, was for the teams in the 2020 playoffs. These jerseys often reused the design of a team’s City or Statement jersey in different colors.
All-Star jerseys
The All-Star Game has its own uniforms, bearing the Jordan logo in recent seasons. On Stephen Curry’s All-Star jersey, a turquoise blue background is crossed by “All Star” in vertical red letters.
Reissues from before 2017
Legendary jerseys predate the edition system. They come from the era when teams wore white at home and colors on the road, and their value lies in the player and the period they evoke. The red Bulls jersey with Michael Jordan’s name on the back is the perfect example, and the other Chicago Bulls uniforms continue the series.
National team jerseys, after all, are outside the NBA: the France team jersey with Wembanyama on the back also bears the Jordan logo.
Which NBA jersey edition should you choose for each occasion?
For your first jersey, choose the Icon; for a more understated style, the Association; for a collectible piece, that season's City edition.
The store also sorts its jerseys by team, across all editions: Lakers jerseys, from gold to purple, the Golden State Warriors range, New York Knicks jerseys and Victor Wembanyama Spurs jerseys.
SizesWhat size NBA jersey should I get?
First choose based on your height in centimeters, then check your chest measurement: an NBA jersey is worn loose, sleeveless, often over a T-shirt. The measurements below are from the store’s guide and apply to all editions.
| Size | Chest measurement | Length | Recommended size |
|---|---|---|---|
| S / 44 | 108 cm | 70 cm | 165 to 170 cm |
| M / 48 | 116 cm | 78 cm | 170 to 175 cm |
| L / 50 | 122 cm | 82 cm | 175 to 183 cm |
| XL / 52 | 128 cm | 85 cm | 183 to 188 cm |
| 2XL / 54 | 134 cm | 88 cm | 188 to 191 cm |
The most reliable method is comparison: lay a basketball jersey that fits you well flat, measure its width from seam to seam below the armholes, double the measurement, and compare it with the chart. If you’re between sizes and plan to wear it over a T-shirt, the larger size will give you more room. For detailed measurements, see the basketball jersey size guide, and our article on basketball jersey sizing explains why these jerseys run wider than a T-shirt.
For a complete outfit, choose the store’s NBA shorts based on your waist and hip measurements, using the basketball shorts size chart.
Everyday wearWearing and caring for your NBA jersey
An NBA jersey is rarely worn on its own off the court. The simplest option: a plain T-shirt underneath, white under a colorful Icon jersey, black under an Association jersey. The very wide armholes serve an athletic purpose, which we explain in why basketball jerseys are sleeveless.
To care for it, turn the jersey inside out before washing to protect the lettering, and avoid the tumble dryer: our guide to washing a basketball jersey covers all the right steps. Finally, before choosing a legendary number, remember that some numbers will never be worn again by a player on their team, like Michael Jordan’s 23 for the Bulls: retired numbers in the NBA and soccer tell these stories.
Frequently asked questions
L’Association is the team’s white jersey, while the Icon is its jersey in the club’s primary color. Together, they replaced home and away jerseys starting in the 2017-2018 season. Either can now be worn at home or away.
Since the 2020-2021 season, the Jordan logo has replaced the Nike Swoosh on the Statement jerseys of all 30 teams. The Charlotte Hornets have worn it on their uniforms since 2017, and All-Star jerseys have also featured it in recent seasons. The Nike Swoosh appears on the shoulder of the other editions.
Yes, a new City series has been released every season since 2017-2018. However, a team can bring back a popular design with changes, like the Warriors’ “The Town,” which returned in cream in 2025-2026. The City jersey is mainly worn for a selection of home games.
Whichever one the home team chooses: since 2017, the home team has decided which edition to wear for its home game. L’équipe visiteuse takes a contrasting jersey from its own range. White is no longer required at home.
Start with your height in centimeters: the store’s size guide recommends S for 165 to 170 cm and 2XL for 188 to 191 cm. Then compare the listed chest measurement with that of a basketball jersey you own, laid flat and doubled. If you’re between sizes, choose the larger size if you’ll wear it over a T-shirt.
This edition is reserved for teams that qualified for the previous season’s playoffs. It was issued to the 16 teams in the 2018 playoffs in 2018-2019, then to the teams in the 2020 playoffs in 2020-2021. These jerseys often featured the team’s City or Statement jersey design in different colors.
Association, Icon, Statement, City: one color and one role for each edition. Once you understand this system, every NBA jersey is easy to recognize at a glance, and choosing one comes down to personal taste.