New jersey Nets: Brooklyn debuts ‘graffiti’ jersey at Practice in the Park

So new? How about everything! The newest Nets “thing” is what the team calls their 2019-2020 Statement Edition Journey ... but which others have dubbed the “graffiti jersey.” It will join an ownership change, another hip new jersey — the white Coogis, a new court, and a freshly renovated locker room. It’s a new vibe for Brooklyn basketball.

The Nets debuted the uniforms Saturday at Practice at the Park to rave reviews from the guys who will wear them.

“These are awesome,” said Joe Harris when asked about the jerseys. “These are some of the coolest jerseys I’ve seen… The graffiti type print is symbolic of the borough itself. It has a good vibe, good feel to it and it definitely kind of echoes the city and the team.”

New acquisition Garrett Temple is a fan as well: “I’m loving them. When I saw them in the locker room this morning, I was like ‘Oh yeah! That’s dope.’ I love grays, black and white, so I’m really feeling the new jerseys, I’m really feeling the new court. It’s a great vibe.”

Here’s a gallery of the new unis.

Working with Brooklyn-based designer Eric Haze, the Nets incorporated the “graffiti”-inspired lettering that’s so prevalent in the borough. Haze has a background in graffiti as one of the first such artists to exhibit their work publicly. He moved into hip hop and has created logos, album covers and identity design for clients including the Beastie Boys, Tommy Boy Records, LL Cool J and EPMD.

Haze was on hand at Brooklyn Bridge Park and honored by the team for his work on the jersey. In an exclusive interview, Haze told NetsDaily his thoughts in creating the design and noted that jerseys now need to work on several platforms.

“I wanted it to be hand-styles, I wanted it to feel organic, not too corporate. At the same time, I wanted it to be clean and crisp.”

Haze added that the version ultimately chosen by the Nets was just one of a few options he presented, calling the choice, “a more simplistic version” that the team believed would play better in video games, on television, and so forth.

Haze admitted that the support he has received from the players has been rewarding.

“It’s an incredibly important project for me. The fact that the players are feeling it, makes it all that more special… It means a lot to me that it’s being received well internally as well as externally.”

Haze noted that he’s from Manhattan, but his wife is actor and Brooklyn icon Rosie Perez.

In a recent press release, the Nets describe the design this way:

“The concrete gray jersey features HAZE’s hand-drawn “BKLYN” letters across the chest. His signature stars run down the jersey’s left side as a contemporary twist on one of the team’s most iconic throwback looks. The side piping is an updated take on the herringbone pattern that has been a fixture on the team’s primary home and away jerseys since play began in Brooklyn, and also appears on the Nets home court.

“NETS” is spelled out down the left side of the shorts, and the team’s secondary logo sits on the right thigh. As with all Nets uniforms, the jersey will feature the Infor patch on the top left chest.”

The regular season debut of these jerseys will take place at Barclays Center on November 1st when the Nets take on the Rockets. The jerseys will be worn for a total of 22 games this season as the “graffiti” uniform will now become the fourth the team will wear this season.

The uniforms will be available for purchase at NetsStore.com on Sunday, Oct. 20 at midnight, and at the Swag Shop at Barclays Center at noon.

• How Eric Haze designed the logo for the Nets 2019-20 Statement Edition jersey - Kristian Winfield - New York Daily News