By Ken Reed
Under the category “Everything is For Sale,” we can now add the iconic Boston Celtics jerseys. Beginning next year, the Celtics uniforms will have the General Electric logo sewed on the jerseys.
The Celtics, along with the Los Angeles Lakers, have long had the two most famous jersey designs in the NBA. They’re classics.
However, the Celtics had already begun to mess with their uniforms the last couple years, rolling out black (fair) and gray versions (horrible). While those uniform shifts were unfortunate, throwing ads on the jerseys and becoming the GE Celtics is simply too much.
“GE will be woven into the fabric of the Boston Celtics both literally and figuratively,” said Celtics president Rich Gotham in a statement.
“Their leadership in innovation, analytics, and technology will help us to be as competitive as we can be in everything from optimizing our facilities and equipment to player performance. Simply put, GE will make us a better and smarter basketball team and organization.”
Ah, gag me with a spoon Gotham. At least be honest and say it’s all about the money grab. Admit that the billions in revenue from the latest NBA TV deal just isn’t enough.
Count Celtics’s center Al Horford among those who “didn’t think [the Celtics] were going to do it, because of the tradition.”
“I just hope we don’t get it (Celtics jersey) covered with 20 logos,” said Horford.
It won’t be long Al. Rest assured all NBA jerseys will eventually look like the cars at NASCAR events.
Owners can say no to tradition, nostalgia, classic uniforms, and iconic brands and logos.
They just can’t say no to a little more cash in their wallets.
— Ken Reed, Sports Policy Director, League of Fans
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