It was a horse chestnut form in Detroit. For several years, the possibility of a return to the Teal color (Editor’s note: teal blue in VF) for the Pistons seemed more and more likely, especially since the hue had returned this season in the branding of the Motor City franchise. The leaks released yesterday on the future jerseys of the various teams for 2022-23 confirm this trend, the Teal Era resumed its rights in Michigan, more than twenty years after its end in 2001.
All it took was one tweet to get Pistons fans fired up. If of course the oldest keep in mind the Bad Boys as the main image of the franchise, the time when Grant Hill raged in the second part of the nineties resonates strongly with those who have experienced the rise of the former Duke. After two seasons spent in the traditional colors of the team, the young man is now the new face of the franchise and it wants to mark the occasion, but also follow the marketing movement of the time. The logo changes from a simple red basketball surrounded by blue to a burning horse with exhaust pipes. The ball is still present, but less visible, and its outline is also changing since it follows the new color code put in place. The classic royal blue tends towards turquoise, and the jersey follows this movement.
A turn not necessarily appreciated at the time, especially among purists. The proof of this form of rejection is that the Teal Era will only last five seasons, even less than Grant Hill’s career with the Pistons. If the franchise wants to break away from the Bad Boys image – with support and even insistence from the NBA – not everyone agrees. Even among the players – Grant Hill and Joe Dumars are not fans and do not hide it – this change is not unanimous. And as the results do not follow on the floors, so soon after the back-to-back of the glorious elders, the business pill is struggling to pass. However, years later, a certain nostalgia has taken over and some are campaigning to see teal blue again. Not necessarily as the main shade, but at least on special edition jerseys. It is in this context that Nike brings out such a jersey, in a “Classic Edition” collection.
A look at many leaks for the NBA next year. Which one catches your eye? pic.twitter.com/5bWP8XXqOJ
– Casey Vitelli (@caseyvitelli) February 22, 2022
This season, the Celtics, Warriors and Knicks were the first franchises to open this series, so the Pistons will pick up the slack. This means that the jersey will be an exact replica of the one worn by Detroit players between 1996 and 2001. Usually such a return is conditional on an anniversary within the relevant franchise. For the Pistons, 2022 does not correspond to any specific date related to the Teal Era. However, it is the 65th anniversary of the team’s move from Fort Wayne to Detroit. The occasion being the thief, it does not matter if the relationship between this celebration and the shirt put forward is not obvious.
So we can’t wait to see Cade Cunningham don the teal jersey, and not just on the montages of Twitter or Instagram. Since it’s only going to be a one-season hit and water has flowed under the bridge, this return to the teal color shouldn’t cause so much opposition. It remains to be seen whether it will be accompanied by a rise in power of the new generation of Pistons.