The Teal Era is back.
The Detroit Pistons will bring back their teal jerseys, which the franchise wore from 1996-2001, during next season as their “Classic Edition” uniform.
The Pistons unveiled the jerseys during a launch party at Highlands Detroit at the top floor of the GM Renaissance Center Monday night, and former star Jerry Stackhouse was in attendance.
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“As somebody who grew up in the era, when that jersey was popular, you know the nostalgia that it has,” Pistons chief business officer Mike Zavodsky said. “And now I think is the perfect time to bring it back with this team that we’re going to have on the court this year. The 90s are very in right now.”
The uniforms were once widely derided by fans, but have since achieved cult status for many. The teal era is a divisive one, as those Pistons teams led by Stackhouse and Grant Hill underachieved relative to the Bad Boys and Goin’ To Work eras, during which the team won its three championships.
A new generation of fans have come to appreciate the uniforms, which carry a distinctive 1990s flair.
The Pistons began to incorporate the color teal into their branding during the 2021-22 season. Their 2021-22 “City Edition” uniforms featured blue-and-teal stripes the sides of the jersey and shorts. During summer league in 2021 and 2022, Detroit’s staff wore teal polos.
They will wear the jerseys for 10 games next season. The team will reveal the games at a later date.
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.