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While the first look at Miami Heat‘s 2021-22 NBA City Edition jersey leaked back in May, the franchise officially debuted their Miami Mashup uniforms on November 1, and the team will debut the new threads when they take on the Boston Celtics on Thursday night.
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Not only will the Heat’s entire roster be rocking “the first uniform in professional sports to feature unique, individualized number styles across each player’s jersey,” as Miami touts the new look, but the court at the FTX Arena will also reflect the “Mixtape” concept.
Since the City Edition jersey made their official debut, only one Heat player has discussed their feelings on the new uniforms, guard Tyler Herro.
“Tyler said this is his favorite uniform, this even beats Vice,” said Jennifer Alvarez, the Heat’s vice president of creative and digital marketing, per Miami Herald‘s Anthony Chiang. “Which really is incredible for us, because we recognize Tyler and just how fashion means so much to him. To know we’re hitting his particular design aesthetic and to have his endorsement was really, really great.”
While other players on the team may like the Miami Mashup jerseys, they’ve yet to publicly state their opinion, and sometimes, silence says it all.
Whether or not Heat All-Stars such as Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and Kyle Lowry actually like the jerseys, they will be rocking them 21 more games this season after tonight’s matchup.
Bleacher Report Ranked Miami’s ‘Ransom Note’ Jersey the 2nd Worst in the NBA
Bleacher Report’s Sean Highkin ranked all the new NBA City Edition jersey’s and the Heat’s Mashup earned the second-worst in the entire league, just behind Oklahoma City Thunder’s forgettable all-white uniforms.
Because the Heat’s Miami Vice jerseys were so popular, “this misfire is all the more disappointing,” Highmark wrote.
“Coming off the best four-year run of alternate jerseys any franchise has ever had (the flawless “Vice City” jerseys), the Heat apparently looked at the Cavs’ Rock and Roll Hall of Fame-themed jerseys from last year that looked like a ransom note and said, ‘Let’s do that.'”
While the concept of personalizing each jersey sounds cool in theory, there are over 5,200 unique numeral combinations to choose from, according to Executive Vice President/Chief Marketing Office Michael McCullough, “It’s going to be terrible and confusing in practice when they actually wear them during games,” Highmark noted.
The Athletic‘s Mike Vorkunov shared similar thoughts about what he called “the most controversial uniforms released this year.”
“Either you love them or you just see a ransom note,” Vorkunov wrote. “The mismatched font works for me, mixing up different fronts from the team’s history, but it didn’t for our voters. Miami always goes big with its alternate uniforms, but this year’s version might not be the hit that previous years were.
The Reaction to Miami’s Mashup Jerseys on Twitter Remain Mixed
While there are cool details hidden in the new jersey design, such as the yellow rope trim, a callback to former Heat star Ray Allen’s infamous shot during the 2013 championship game, it’s hard not to focus on the mashup of letters and numbers.
The “ransom note” vibes were felt by many online users. One woman tweeted, “Everyone & their mamas know how much I LOVE the Miami Heat but who tf let them slap magazine letter cutouts on to the new jerseys?? I think the concept itself is cool & different but they’re really just doing the most with it.”
Numerous fans expressed how they straight-up hate the new jerseys, but others can’t help but admit that the unique style is growing on them.
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