Celtics Pay Tribute To Franchise's History Of Winning With New City Edition Uniforms
BOSTON (CBS) -- The Boston Celtics have a rich history like few other sports franchises. The team is looking to capture 75 years of winning with its new City Edition uniforms for the 2021-22 season.
The uniforms, which were revealed Monday, are covered with nods to Boston's 17 NBA titles and all of the all-time greats that have donned a Celtics uniform over the years.
The new jersey features elements from three different decades. The solid green base and white outlined wordmark and number scheme are reminiscent of the team's 1949 uniforms. The back of the jersey features a white nameplate block below the player's jersey number, which is a nod to the team's iconic 1988 warmup jackets. The taping around the arms and neck replicates the team's 1965 uniform.
The highlight is on the bottom of the jerseys though. There are 17 shamrocks located on the bottom left above the jocktag of the jersey, each of which is labeled with the year of a Celtics championship season. The many legends that have worn a Celtics uniform are also highlighted, with three replica banners containing the 24 player numbers and names that have been retired by the organization.
Red Auerbach's renowned quote, "The Boston Celtics are not a basketball team, they're a way of life," is prominently featured as well.
The unis would be nothing without some sweet shorts, and the new City Edition getups certainly have some sweet shorts. Inspired by the team's inaugural uniform design in 1946, Boston's City Edition shorts feature a wide venting shape on both sides. The 75th anniversary commemorative logo rests on the left short panel, while a Celtics shamrock is featured on the right short panel with the name 'RED' -- serving as a tribute to the winningest coach in franchise history. To top it all off, there is a vintage "Lucky the Leprechaun" logo from the 1960s located at the center of the belt buckle.
The Celtics did most of their championship collecting in the 1960s, a decade that included seven straight championships for Boston from 1960 to 1966.
Celtics fans won't have to wait too long to see the new unis in action. Boston will debut its 2021-22 City Edition uniform on Nov. 12 when the Celtics host the defending-champion Milwaukee Bucks at TD Garden.
