Ryan Smith: Fourth Purple Jazz Jersey On The Way
Jun 21, 2022, 7:16 PM | Updated: 7:21 pm
Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Utah Jazz in action during a game against the Memphis Grizzlies at Vivint Smart Home Arena on December 7, 2019 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)
(Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY – For the first time, Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith discussed the team’s newly rebranded uniforms on Hans and Scotty on 97.5 KSL Sports Zone, and teased a fourth purple jersey was in the team’s future.
The black, white, yellow, and purple color scheme was a major shakeup from the Jazz’s color palette in seasons past and didn’t sit well with some fans after the uniforms were released.
Smith addressed the controversy on Tuesday with Scott Garrard and Hans Olsen.
“We simplified and made it a little more clean,” Smith said, “and there’s probably fair criticism that maybe we went a little too clean.”
However, the Jazz owner said early returns from the sales indicate Jazz fans were on board with the redesign.
“I already got data back that online, the number one selling item, which was crazy, was purple, it came in hot, everyone bought it,” Smith said. “But when people walked into the team store, they bought the black and yellow.”
Jazz fans on social media were quick to criticize the simplified black and yellow jerseys that simply read “Utah” and “Jazz” with dramatically oversized numbers on the uniforms.
NBA teams are permitted to change alternate jerseys each year, but their three main jerseys are required to stay in the team’s rotation for several seasons.
Here's look at the six new @utahjazz jerseys that will debut over the next two seasons. #TakeNote https://t.co/nIJuFSwdsZ
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) June 17, 2022
Despite the new look, Smith warned fans that no jerseys were permanent.
“Don’t ever take a snapshot of the brand, it’s changed every five years,” Smith said. “It’s an evolution and it’s a living movement that will continue to happen.”
Perhaps most interesting was Smith’s leak that the Jazz would have a fourth purple jersey in addition to the two mountain jerseys that were revealed last week, and the throwback New Orleans Jazz jersey that will debut in 2023-24.
“We haven’t been purple in 20 years, it has not been part of our color palette,” Smith said. “We’ve had it back twice, and what we rolled out, we’ll have four purple jerseys in three years.”
Hans and Scotty can be heard weekdays on 97.5 FM KSL Sports Zone from noon to 3 pm.
