The Utah Jazz will be getting more new uniforms next year. Also — Chicago Fire co-creator Derek Haas put some Jazz easter eggs in his show’s season finale.
Without question, Donovan Mitchell is the biggest thing to hit the Utah Jazz’s corner of the hoops universe in a couple of decades. That said, the new uniforms the team used during the 2017-18 season are definitely strong contenders for second billing.
ESPN called the gold, Statement edition kit a top-fiver when it was revealed last fall. As for the gradient City edition jerseys, they’re so hot that you still can’t get one without resorting to back-alley transactions involving hefty sums of cash.
However, the Jazz aren’t resting on their laurels in the fashion department.
In March, SportsLogos.net’s Conrad Burry reported that they would be one of seven NBA teams to sport a new, “Classic” edition jersey next season. According to Burry, the uniform will be a purple throwback to the days before the advent of Utah’s mid-90s mountain logo.
In other words, something akin to the kits worn by ‘Pistol’ Pete Maravich, Adrian Dantley and John Stockton/Karl Malone.
And now, it seems as though a sixth uniform is in the works.
Today on Uni Watch: NBA Xmas uni update, plus Collector's Corner, the full scoop on this year's Purp Walk cap, and a lot more. https://t.co/2YwahS88pk
— Paul Lukas (@UniWatch) May 15, 2018
Per Paul Lukas of Uni Watch, the 16 teams that advanced to the 2018 postseason will be getting yet another alternate jersey. Initially, reports Lukas, the idea was that 10 clubs would be getting new Christmas Day uniforms. However, the NBA and Nike have apparently decided to expand on that concept.
Said Lukas —
"Instead of the 10 teams who play on Christmas Day, it will now be the [previous season’s] 16 playoff teams that get the additional uniforms. They’ll debut, I believe, if the team plays on Dec. 25, but they will also be able to wear them whenever they want after that. I’ve seen 14 of the 16 jerseys — all except the Pacers and Jazz. Those two teams won’t be available at retail till February ’19 however."
Get ready to shell out some more dough, Jazz fans.
Jazz-inspired character names on Chicago Fire
If you’re into the Jazz and you caught the season six finale of NBC’s Chicago Fire, you may have noticed several characters with familiar names. You weren’t going crazy — there really was a Detective Udoh, a Firefighter Burks and, my personal favorite, Officer Joe Ingles.
https://twitter.com/Joeingles7/status/997208157490266112
Those weren’t the only Jazz-inspired easter eggs on the cast list, either. There was also a Rudy, a Jerebko, an Exum and a Rick Rubio. They were all put into the script by the series’ co-creator Derek Haas, a Baylor grad and friend of Jazz GM Dennis Lindsey.
He was inspired to Jazz it up while watching Mitchell and his squad play earlier this season.
Here’s Haas on the names, via the The Salt Lake Tribune’s Chris Kamrani —
"“On these shows, I’ve done 140 something episodes at this point, I think, and you’re always looking for character names,” Haas explained. “It wasn’t like I was using the players themselves or their likenesses or anything like that. I just called NBC and said, ‘Hey, I want to use all these names in the last few episodes,’ and they’re like, ‘Go for it, we get easter eggs for the fans.’”"
https://twitter.com/derekhaas/status/996201530826014720
Next: Utah Jazz '17-18 review: Alec Burks' roller coaster year
NBC ordered a seventh season of Chicago Fire earlier this month.