Every Bulls City Edition uniform since 2017 explained

Every Bulls City Edition uniform since 2017 explained

originally appeared on
NBC Sports Chicago

The Chicago Bulls, a globally recognized sports brand, have maintained their iconic logo, uniform, and court design since their founding in 1966-67. However, in a few games each season, the Bulls deviate from their traditional attire and don a special “City Edition” uniform designed by Nike. These uniforms aim to represent the unique stories, history, and culture of each NBA franchise while honoring the bond between the team, community, and the court. Nike introduced the City Edition concept in 2017 when they became the official jersey manufacturer for the league.

Let’s take a look at the history of the seven Bulls City Edition uniforms, each paying homage to our beloved city.

2017-18

The first ever Bulls City Edition jersey designed by Nike drew inspiration from the Chicago flag. This white uniform incorporated red and blue accents, featuring four red stars running vertically down the side. The iconic script “Chicago” font adorned the chest, and the words “Sweet Home” appeared near the bottom tag.

2018-19

In their second set of City Editions, the Bulls once again paid tribute to the city flag. This time, the jersey was black with four red six-pointed stars enclosed by two blue stripes across the chest. The stripes represented Lake Michigan’s color and the Chicago River’s branches. Meanwhile, the stars symbolized significant events in the city’s history, including Fort Dearborn, the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, the World’s Columbian Exposition of 1893, and the Century of Progress Exposition of 1933–34.

2019-20

The powder blue uniforms for this season were a nod to Chicago’s famous waterfronts, Lake Michigan and the Chicago River. These jerseys solely featured a large Chicago Bulls logo on the front.

2020-21

For the 2020-21 season, the Bulls explored Chicago’s architectural history with their City Edition design. Drawing inspiration from the city’s art deco style and ironwork framing, the uniform showcased gold trim reminiscent of downtown Chicago’s buildings. The signage font used at the United Center was also incorporated. The phrase “No Little Plans” stitched near the bottom paid homage to Daniel Burnham, the city planner who designed Chicago after the 1871 fire and served as the executive director of works for the 1893 World’s Fair.

2021-22

The “Moments Mixtape” inspired uniform for the 2021-22 season paid homage to the Bulls’ history. The bright red jersey featured a diagonal Chicago script font reminiscent of the 1980s when Michael Jordan was drafted. The shorts showcased red pinstripes on a black diamond background, trimmed with red, white, and black taping—a callback to the dynastic 1990s. The white side taping and numbering referenced the franchise’s founding in the late 1960s.

2022-23

The rust-colored City Edition uniform for the 2022-23 season reflected the iconic bridges crossing the Chicago River. The uniform’s “Y” shape pattern was inspired by the Chicago Municipal “Y,” which resembles the three branches of the Chicago River converging at the heart of downtown.

2023-24

The Bulls’ latest City Edition uniforms pay tribute to the former Chicago Stadium, the renowned arena that preceded the United Center. Known as the “Madhouse on Madison,” the jersey replicates the signage outside Chicago Stadium with parallel “Chicago” lettering. The shorts feature two parallel stripes symbolizing the “four-corner window patterning” of the old arena.

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