It appears the Teal Era will return for the Detroit Pistons.
The Pistons’ teal jerseys, which the franchise wore from 1996-2001, will return for the 2022-23 season as the team’s “Classic Edition” uniform, a league source confirmed to the Free Press on Wednesday. The uniforms will be an exact replica of the 90s jerseys, which have reached cult status with some Pistons fans but remain unsightly for others.
The announcement was initially spoiled by Twitter users @skunwong32 and @caseyvitelli, who leaked photos of approximately 40 of the NBA’s 2022-23 jerseys on Tuesday. No Pistons uniforms other than the “Classic Edition” set were included in the leak.
BEFORE THE BREAK: Three Pistons in Rising Stars tournament a good ‘sign’ for rebuild
The return to teal has been a long time coming for the Pistons, who began re-incorporating the color into their branding this season. The Pistons’ 2021-22 “City Edition” uniforms feature blue-and-teal stripes and lightning bolts on the sides of the jersey and shorts, and Detroit’s Summer League staff wore teal polo shirts in Las Vegas in August.
Assuming the jerseys follow the NBA’s and Nike’s usual rules for throwback jerseys, the Pistons’ second teal era will last for only a single season, and only a handful of games.
[ GET MORE PISTONS COVERAGE HERE: Just $22 for two full years! ]
Contact Omari Sankofa II at osankofa@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @omarisankofa. The Free Press has started a new digital subscription model. Here’s how you can gain access to our most exclusive Pistons content. Read more on the Detroit Pistons and sign up for our Pistons newsletter.