Published 11:44 IST, November 3rd 2020
Warriors' City Edition jersey honours their 'We Believe' and Oakland eras
As the NBA 2020-21 season is fast approaching, the Golden State Warriors have unveiled their brand new "Oakland Forever" City Edition jersey.
The Golden State Warriors played in Oakland for 47 years, moving to San Francisco after the 2018-19 season. While the Oakland era has come to an end, the new Warriors City Edition jersey honours their time in the city of Oakland. The Warriors' new jersey also pays tribute to the team's "We Believe" era, where the No. 8 seeded Warriors defeated the No. 1 seeded Dallas Mavericks in round one of the playoffs in 2007.
New Warriors Oakland jersey unveiled by Golden State
Oakland is and will always be a part of our team’s identity.
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) November 2, 2020
“Oakland Forever," presented by @Rakuten, is a nod to the We Believe era and its turning point in Oakland’s basketball history.
To honor the Town, we partnered with Nike to put a spin on these classic uniforms. pic.twitter.com/d7nUAJLbzM
“Oakland is and forever will be part of this franchise’s identity,” Warriors President and Chief Operating Officer Rick Welts said during the press release. He added that the Oakland Forever campaign with Rakuten will "deepen our ties and impact in Oakland" with a focus on community efforts and allowing people to have safe access to health and wellness resources.
Along with Rakuten, the Warriors have teamed up with Oakland-based company Oaklandish to launch a limited-edition collection which will be based on the City Edition jerseys. While the Warriors City Edition jersey will be available from December 3, the limited edition jersey will be available sometime around the beginning of the 2020-21 season.
Amit Patel, Rakuten Americas CEO, stated that they were honoured to "partner with the Warriors to celebrate the franchise’s history and one of its most dynamic, best-loved eras". Oaklandish CEO and Creative Director Angela Tsay also gave a statement, stating that this partnership is their "salute to Oakland and some of the most passionate fans in professional basketball".
Do fans like the Warriors new jersey?
@koch_corn These are amazing 🔥
— Dustin Martin 🐐🐯🏆🏆🏆 (@BrownlowNeale3) November 3, 2020
OMG this jersey is 🔥
— Kristin Osborn (@kristin_oz) November 2, 2020
When will there be available for purchase. I need one yesterday
— Khaled Taqieddin (@ktaqieddin) November 2, 2020
Rakuten with the mean Cash back on purchases! Warriors blackin next season
— The Commish (@DontTouchRab) November 3, 2020
why didnt they do this when they were actually in Oakland
— Randy Em (@randyem_) November 2, 2020
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While many of the City Edition jerseys are being made fun of, most fans seem to like the Warriors' Oakland jersey, especially since it pays ode to the We Believe era. However, there are some fans who are not happy with the jerseys as the team is no longer in Oakland.
This is like when a neighborhood gentrifies and the new businesses keep the signage of the businesses they replaced https://t.co/CgdO0qv40F
— Eric Freeman (@freemaneric) November 2, 2020
Also read | NBA City Edition jerseys: Which new 2020-21 city edition uniforms are hit and miss amongst fans?
The Warriors, who made it to the NBA Finals for five seasons straight, finished the 2019-20 season at the bottom of the NBA table. With Klay Thompson already injured, the Warriors' season went downhill after Steph Curry broke his hand last October. However, coach Steve Kerr and the players have spoken about making a comeback this season, especially as both Thompson and Curry will be on the court again.
(Image credits: Golden State Warriors Twitter)
Updated 11:44 IST, November 3rd 2020