Basketball, with the National Basketball Association as its ‘poster boy’, is among the top six favorite sports of Americans. Around 6 percent of sports fans surveyed by Harris Poll in the U.S. early this year claimed that basketball has been their favored sport since 1985. With a huge following, the NBA recognizes the potential of its famous athletes to boost advertising for the organization.
Thus, during the Christmas Day games in 2013, NBA players sported a revamped jersey design that would heighten the association’s marketing efforts. Ben Golliver reports, in a November 14, 2013 article in Sports Illustrated:
“The NBA and Adidas unveiled Thursday the short sleeve jerseys that will be worn during this year’s Christmas Day quintuple-header. The solid-color “BIG Logo” jersey designs feature an over-sized team logo on the front; the player’s number has been moved from the chest to the left sleeve. “Holiday-inspired” warm-ups and shirts will accompany the jerseys.
The Wall Street Journal reports that the NBA and Adidas are continuing to plug away at the sleeved jersey concept, much to the dismay of traditionalists, who prefer a tank top look. Their reasoning boils down to a belief that a shirt-style uniform has a wider marketing appeal for fans.”