The Chicago Bulls 2023-24 Nike NBA City Edition uniforms. Courtesy: NBA
In November, the Chicago Bulls paid homage to the old Chicago Stadium, unveiling their new 2023-24 Nike NBA City Edition uniforms at the Inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament.
According to the Chicago Bulls, the uniform was inspired by the rich history of the Chicago Stadium and is presented by motorola razr+.
The team first debuted their uniform in the opening In-Season Tournament Game vs. the Brooklyn Nets on November 3, and will wear them again in Orlando on Friday, November 17, and at Boston on November 28.
Through meaningful details, the jersey and retail collection pays homage to the memories created at the stadium and the unique architecture of the Bulls’ original home that stood on the Near West Side for almost 60 years.
The architectural elements are highlighted on the uniform in many places including: The parallel placement of “Chicago,” representing the historic signage located on the building’s exterior.
The phrase “Madhouse on Madison,” paying tribute to the infamous name the stadium earned due to the incomparable noise produced by the unique architectural design and a 3,663-pipe Barton organ.
Two parallel stripes that run down each side acknowledge the four-corner window patterning. An intricately detailed image of the Bulls logo located on the shorts recognizes that every sign in the stadium was hand painted with white paint. A red satin lining honors the first-ever event held at the stadium – a boxing match between light heavyweight champion Tommy Loughran and Mickey Walker.
Home to the Bulls during their 1991-93 NBA Championship three-peat, Chicago Stadium opened its doors in 1929 and first hosted the Bulls in 1967. With steel trusses spanning 266 feet, fans sat anywhere in the arena without having an obstructed view. Furthermore, due to the second- and third-layers of the bowl being built directly above the first layer, visiting teams experienced “dizzying sights.” As the world’s largest indoor arena of its time, the Chicago Stadium gave fans an unforgettable experience immediately upon entry.
In addition to the Chicago Stadium jerseys, the Bulls will then host six City Edition theme nights, where fans will be transported back to the Chicago Stadium with 8-bit inspired scoreboard graphics, photo opportunities, nostalgic organ sounds, national anthem performers and more.
Those games include November 30 vs. the Milwaukee Bucks, December 21 vs. the San Antonio Spurs, January 30 vs. the Toronto Raptors presented by Corona, February 27 vs. the Detroit Pistons presented by Klarna, March 1 vs. Milwaukee presented by SIXT and April 1 vs. the Atlanta Hawks presented by BMO.
Fans can purchase the City Edition retail collection online at Shop.Bulls.com or in the Madhouse Team Store located at the United Center. To learn more about the uniform or to purchase tickets to any of the six City Edition theme nights, visit Bulls.com/City.
Joseph Phillips is the Sports Editor for the Chicago Crusader Newspaper. He is a Chicago native, who has been a sports writer for over 17 years. He also hosts the SC Media News and Sports Network Q&A radio show on WHPK 88.5 FM Chicago.
