On Sunday evening, the Atlanta Hawks unveiled their latest City Edition uniform the team will wear next season.
This edition honors civil rights icon Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who was born and raised in Atlanta. The uniform features King’s initials across the chest, which will be the first time the initials of an individual will be prominently on an NBA game uniform.
The uniform uses the following colors (via the Hawks press release):
Infinity Black: This principal hue of the Atlanta Hawks Nike Statement Edition and City Edition uniforms denotes the team’s bold, relentless, and unapologetic approach to competition and community.
Vintage Gold: The subtle and sedate golden tone highlights the reverence befitting the memory of a global icon and reflects an air of sophistication.
Fidelity White: Dedication and loyalty to the great city of Atlanta along with the ideals of equality and compassion come through in this crisp and classic white.
The uniform uses several elements that were inspired by the architecture of churches where King preached. The tapered striping on the sides of the shorts mimic the silhouette of stained-glass windows. The sides of the shorts feature 22 stars representing the number of times MLK was jailed fighting for equality. The crown and shield icon on the shorts was inspired by church windows and King’s personal belongings. The waistband features the Hawks’ primary logo in black and gold. His signature was placed below the jock tag.
Atlanta will wear the MLK uniforms for select games during the upcoming season. The team will also have a special MLK court for games at State Farm Arena. The court will feature the Hawks’ primary logo at center court in a mosaic pattern using the team’s primary colors (Torch Red and Legacy Yellow). The stylized logo will continue the stained-glass motif from the uniform.
