Threading the Needle: January Uniform Review

Welcome to the second installment of Threading the Needle!

Wow. What a month. I’m sure many people, myself included, didn’t have the Jazz at 15-5 (including an 11-game win streak) after 20 games. It’s been fun, to say the least. I’ve been trying to temper expectations, but it’s tough not to get excited after seeing what the Jazz did last month.

Let’s get right into our January/December installment of Threading the Needle. For those who missed the debut of this series just before the season started, this will be a space to dissect the (all-important) aesthetic elements of the Utah Jazz. We’ll definitely include a month-end recap of the Jazz’s jersey schedule, with performance by jersey, the best-looking jersey matchups, and other tidbits. If there’s something else you’d like us to do with this space, let us know! 

Here is a summary of the Jazz record in each uniform, including the four games played in December as well as January’s 16 contests:

Obviously the first thing to mention here is that the Jazz are over .500 in all four of their uniforms, which might be more of an indicator that they are just plain good. The second mention has to be the gold Statement jerseys coming in hot at 2-0. 

Mellow Yellow: A blistering 2-0 Start

The gold/mustard/yellow Statement jerseys are always the hottest topic when it comes to Jazz uniforms. Even Jazz coach Quin Snyder and All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell have commented on them in the past, which is saying something. Fans are pretty polarized on the subject, some believing them to be cursed, while others feel it looks too Lakers-esque. Some fans — a seeming minority — actually like them.

Obviously it’s a small sample size, and we’ll wait to pass judgment on this season’s version of the gold Statement jerseys, but 2-0 is 2-0. Even the Jazz social media team is aware of the vitriol from some of Jazz faithful.

But are they really cursed? Every time the Jazz wear them, my mentions are filled with comments like “puke emoji,” “scheduled loss,” or “why did the Jazz keep these over the purple mountain Classic jerseys?”With a bit of research (and a big thanks to SCH’s own Ken Clayton) we’ve determined that the Jazz are 24-23 all-time in the Statement jerseys  since they were created, including this year’s 2-0. Yes, there have been some awful stretches like last year’s 1-7, but they’re sill over .500 in the bright, bold yellow. I see that average increasing in February and beyond as this team racks up wins against lesser opponents — they’ll wear them on Tuesday night to face the Detroit Pistons. Hate them if you want, but don’t forget some of the great moments we experienced while the team wore gold, most notably the 2018 playoff series win against Oklahoma City.

Best Looking Matchup

To me, January brought us mostly vanilla jersey matchups, but there was one that stuck out as being attractive to the eye: Jan 15 vs Atlanta. Not only did the Jazz shut down Trae Young and the Hawks, but they did it in the Dark Mode uniforms. Atlanta wore their red Icon jerseys which made for a tasty matchup aesthetically.

Fan Concept of the Month

As I mentioned when I introduced the column, I want to try highlight fan uniform concepts as they surface on social media in the previous month. This month’s designs are by Seth Reese (@ninety4feet on Twitter). Seth is a talented designer, and recently designed jersey packages for all 30 NBA teams, which is quite an accomplishment and a ton of work. If you like his stuff, give him some love.  

February Slate

In total, the Jazz will play 15 games in February. Here’s the jersey breakdown:

• Association: 7
• Icon: 2
• Statement: 4
• City: 2

For those who have asked, there has still been no official announcement on the rumored Earned jersey that leaked in December. It’s becoming more likely that it will only be used in the second half of the season the schedule for which has yet to be announced. 

The Jazz will get back to action on Tuesday against the Pistons, who come in tied for the worst winning percentage in the league. The Jazz will wear the gold Statements for a third time as they attempt to start a new winning streak after their string of 11 victories was snapped Sunday in Denver.

For more jersey related content, follow me on Twitter for game by game content and various musings.

As always, #TakeNote and go Jazz.

-JUT