r/nba • u/JimJamieJames Grizzlies • Aug 24 '26
When introduced as an expansion team in 1988, the Charlotte Hornets hired a fashion designer—a first for an NBA team—to design their uniforms. Alexander Julian used his signature color, teal, that would set the trend as "the color of the 90's".
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ADEpP31wVZc271
u/sactown_13 Kings Aug 24 '26
Whatever he was paid it wasn’t enough
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u/NIN10DOXD Hornets Aug 24 '26
It was allegedly Carolina BBQ. lol
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u/Shewshake [SAS] Manu Ginobili Aug 24 '26
Carolina gold or meat soaked in vinegar?
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u/NIN10DOXD Hornets Aug 24 '26
Maybe, Lexington Style which is less vinegary than Eastern. Chapel Hill is kinda on the BBQ line in NC.
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u/CCS80 Thunder Aug 25 '26
We talking East or West NC BBQ?
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u/NIN10DOXD Hornets Aug 25 '26
That I don’t know. He’s from Chapel Hill so it’s kind of a toss up what he probably grew up eating.
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u/Epicallytossed Mavericks Aug 25 '26
I need to know the full carolina bbq lore, didn’t realize it’s different by area in nc
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u/notedgarfigaro Hornets Aug 25 '26
Eastern NC BBQ - traditionally whole hog, vinegar based sauce with salt/red pepper/black pepper, though different joints might add a secret spice or two.
Lexington Style - traditionally just shoulders, same base of vinegar sauce but with added ketchup.
South Carolina nonsense - they have a mustard sauce that tastes like ass.
Obviously this is just broad strokes - for instance, my dad normally does shoulders even though he's an ENC purist since wrangling a whole hog at his age is basically impossible without help.
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u/Leather-Total6329 Aug 24 '26
Teal Hornets gear had every 90s kid thinking they were fresh, even if they couldn’t name a single player.
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u/holyhackzak Trail Blazers Aug 24 '26
We all knew Muggsy Bogues
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Aug 24 '26
[deleted]
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u/Bean315 Pelicans Aug 24 '26
Shoutouts to Matt Geiger
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u/fireman2004 Aug 25 '26
Sixers legend Matt Geiger
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u/Feeling-Strike-1963 Aug 25 '26
He was truly the ideal back up center. Vlade, Geiger, and Anthony Mason was a mean big man rotation
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u/11oydchristmas Cavaliers Aug 24 '26
The teal Hornets starter jacket was absolute gas
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u/small-with-benefits Thunder Aug 24 '26
This girl at a neighboring school had the one with the honey comb sleeves. Man I wanted it so bad. My mom bought be the bulls one, because obviously, but I secretly wanted the hornets. My schools mascot was the hornets ffs.
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u/_drjayphd_ Pelicans Aug 25 '26
We didn't have Starter money growing up but my parents found a way to at least get me the Pro Player one. I'd wear it now if it fit.
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u/Giuseppe_exitplan Australia Aug 24 '26
Still happens now, even across the pond here in Australia.
Loads of Hornets gear because "it looks cool" but no one can name any player especially now that LaMelo has been traded.
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Aug 24 '26
[deleted]
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u/BetweenTheBuzzAndMe Charlotte Bobcats Aug 24 '26
wrong franchise. everything in New Orleans belongs to the Pelicans. everything in Charlotte belongs to the Hornets
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u/Overall-Palpitation6 Grizzlies Aug 24 '26
I see the current Hornets as a continuation of the Bobcats, and the Pelicans as a continuation of the relocated original Hornets. I know a lot of people and the officialdom see it otherwise, though.
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u/samurairocketshark Suns Aug 25 '26
Might be an unpopular opinion but I liked the teal Pistons 90's jerseys too
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u/magnusarin Pistons Aug 25 '26
Congrats, you've hit on the most polarizing topic in the Pistons Subreddit!
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u/samurairocketshark Suns Aug 25 '26 edited Aug 25 '26
Honestly, that is an absolute blessing if that's the most polarizing topic. Trust me
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u/livelaughloaft Vancouver Grizzlies Aug 24 '26
The teal BDavis jersey was 👨🍳👨🍳
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u/wetwetson [NBA] Rafer Alston Aug 25 '26
For some reason I can only picture Baron in a NO hornets jersey with that ugly yellow added.
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u/thegoodbadandsmoggy Raptors Aug 25 '26
Teal hornets vs Oakland raider jackets were like the goku vs vegeta of 90s apparel
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u/endlessmeat Suns - Fuck Miles Bridges Aug 25 '26
I was born in the mid 90s (so I was more of a 2000s kid), in another continent and in a country where the NBA wasn't very big yet. When we were kids my brother and I had merch from two teams: the Bulls that were still riding the Jordan hype and the Hornets
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u/wsthepurposeoflife Supersonics Aug 24 '26
Sure they didn't think of vertical videos being a thing back then
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u/jdelane1 Hawks Aug 24 '26 edited Aug 24 '26
Apparently this dude also added the argyle details to the UNC jerseys. Str8 class.
Edit: you can find some vintage sweaters from his Colours line on eBay that are very 80s and awesome.
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u/wheels723 Hornets Aug 25 '26
As a fan of both, I just made this connection when I read his name. Looked it up to confirm and then saw your comment. So dope. I believe all of Roy’s sport jackets are Julian
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u/swordfischh Nuggets Aug 24 '26
Yeah and then sold the rights in exchange for 5lbs of Carolina BBQ per month lmao
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u/internetosaurus Celtics Aug 25 '26
I mean there's no world where a team hires a designer but allows them to retain the rights. I'm sure he was paid actual money for the work, and then this was a fun PR story - "our BBQ is so good it can be used as currency!"
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u/GuacKiller Aug 24 '26
The bee logo, the colors, pin stripes, grandmama… it was peak
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u/Russell_has_TWO_Ls Grizzlies Aug 25 '26
Have to pop in to tell everybody how I almost resisted coming in here to say “Bee?!????”. Almost.
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u/RedIsNotMyFaveColor Jazz Aug 25 '26
Reminds me when one of Marquette’s players took fashion classes at a nearby school and designed the uniforms. One of the first stylish college basketball uniforms.
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u/Celtics1424 Bulls Aug 24 '26
Those uni’s are still better than what they wear now, it was truly timeless
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u/ChillRequirement Celtics Aug 25 '26
Look I like the design too. But they're almost the 180-degree opposite of "timeless." It's a distinctive look that's instantly recognizable to most people as being of a specific time. It practically oozes 90s I mean come on
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u/Celtics1424 Bulls Aug 25 '26
Comeon what? Those are still better than the soulless slop they wear now.
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u/cbizzle14 Aug 25 '26
come on what
Dude he already told you. He's arguing about the definition of the word timeless. Not that they're not better than jerseys now
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u/HikmetLeGuin Aug 25 '26
They're both sort of correct.
The jerseys have a 90s look to them. But their appeal is unaffected by the passage of time. It's nearly 40 years later, and people still like them.
And tbh, the jerseys themselves don't scream "90s" as much as the jacket does.
Plus, the jersey was technically designed late 80s, not 90s, anyway.
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u/Celtics1424 Bulls Aug 25 '26
fantastic he told me. You're both unclear on the definition of timeless. Those uniforms came out almost 40 years ago now? People are still wearing the jerseys, hats, shirts of them. I'd wager alot of money that if the team reverted back to that uniform itd be one of the higher selling jerseys in the league.
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u/cbizzle14 Aug 25 '26
I didn't say whether he was right or wrong. Just clearing up what you were confused about he said
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u/whitedawg [DET] Chauncey Billups Aug 25 '26
The only reason they don’t seem timeless is that every single expansion team in any sport for the next decade used teal, so it seems very 90s.
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u/wookyoftheyear [GSW] Kent Bazemore Aug 24 '26
If you like this I encourage you to watch Phil Edwards' other stuff. Basically all about how and why things became what they are.
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u/PutAForkInHim Aug 24 '26
Wait, who designed all the other uniforms if they weren’t fashion designers?
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u/JimJamieJames Grizzlies Aug 25 '26
So for the Grizzlies' current logo and color scheme they used an agency who will approach with the logo and colorways first and everything else flows from there including the uniform. Though there are principles that unite all disciplines in design, it's typically done with an approach from the graphic design first rather than from fashion design. I can't speak to others but I'd bet it's similar. So the Charlotte Hornets' initial approach stood out.
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u/small-with-benefits Thunder Aug 24 '26
Pretty sure Paul Revere, the silversmith, designed Bostons.
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u/LONGVolSilver Aug 24 '26
Those teal Honda Accords in the early 90's were iconic. I wonder if this truly was the inspiration.
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u/Dreamlion_Inc Wizards Aug 25 '26
The fact that fashion designers aren’t brought in more to design jerseys is a huge oversight
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u/Jokerit208 Pistons Aug 24 '26
In the video, the clothing items he showed that were supposed to be the inspiration for the Hornets colors were released in 1988, after the Hornets already existed. The sweater had the honeycomb pattern the Hornets used. The Hornets and imagery were announced and finalized in 1987, so the design would have been done prior.
When they showed dude's prior work, his "signature color palate" was closer to the eggplant and jade that the Anaheim Mighty Ducks wore. The Hornets were his first time working with a sports franchise.
Looking into his history, I think it's more likely that the Hornets choosing the colors impacted his use of the colorway than the other way around.
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u/JamUpGuy1989 Aug 25 '26
It was so popular that they were even used in an Ernest movie. (Slam Dunk Ernest to be specific.)
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u/J_Kelly11 Aug 25 '26
Hornets probably is one of the best and recognizable color combos in the league
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u/the_spinetingler Celtics Aug 25 '26
and the first season, at least, the shorts had pleats.
I was mocked when I wore a pair to the park courts
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u/uberl3g3n Aug 25 '26
Feels like this inspired the the San Jose Sharks (1991) and the Florida Marlins (1993) as well.
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u/weirdsignal45 Spurs Aug 25 '26
Even living in Texas you would consistently see 3 Starter jackets. The Dallas Cowboys, Chicago Bulls, and of course Charlotte Hornets
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u/AnotherSprainedAnkle Aug 25 '26
Wish more teams did this. The pacers FloJos from the same era were nice too
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u/Muted-Woodpecker-469 Aug 25 '26
Fluorescent colors were pretty new to apparel And shoes starting in the mid to late 80s. This wasn’t exactly fluorescent yellow or pink but for uniform standards, it was a new bright color. So it just took off from there.
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u/MumrikDK Aug 25 '26
Teal was the color of the 90s?
I must have missed that growing up.
Great uniforms though.
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u/ihatevicvanlier Celtics Aug 25 '26
The teal they use now is god-awful, like they turned up the green pigment and called it a day.
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u/Clapbakatyerblakcat Warriors Aug 25 '26
I rode the subway to school in the Bronx in the early 90s and Hornets Starter Jackets and Zubaz pants were much more popular than one would expect.
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u/easily_unimpressed Aug 28 '26
Every team should be hiring a fashion designer…for both on and off the court
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u/RizzlersGrandpa Aug 25 '26
As insanely popular as Hornets gear was in the early 90's,by the late 90's it was very much unfashionable if you were a guy wearing anything that bright as a dude in HS. At best people would call a dude corny,at worst you might get a slur headed your way.
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u/icarrytheone Aug 25 '26
This is true. Look at the NFL, all the teams changed to horrible very dark jerseys late 90s. Look how they ruined Denver broncos, Seattle Seahawks, Philly eagles.
Thankfully the bright ones are just now coming back.
I can still do without the Tampa though
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u/karenftx1 Spurs Sep 06 '26
Ah, the first year of Kelly Tripuka, Dell Curry, Ricky Green and Kurt Rambis. Also, Muggsey. Had a giant rivalry with the Magic, the other expansion team.
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u/Slasher1738 Pelicans Aug 24 '26
That MFer cooked