Inside The Jazz

Jazz Owner Ryan Smith Hints at New Team Colors

Something for Jazz fans to look forward to.
Marty Carpenter|
Jazz Owner Ryan Smith Hints at New Team Colors
Jazz Owner Ryan Smith Hints at New Team Colors

Owner Ryan Smith made it clear back in October, but it turns out the forthcoming overhaul of the Utah Jazz color scheme and jerseys isn’t as black and white as it once seemed.

After TNT cameras caught Jazz's billionaire owner sitting alongside Dwyane Wade in the front row at Game 4 of the NBA Western Conference opening-round series wearing a purple t-shirt with a white note, Jazz Uniform Tracker tweeted that the wardrobe choice is becoming more and more common.

“Ryan has definitely been wearing more and more purple lately,” read the tweet.

Just over three hours later, Smith replied to the tweet saying, “Purple is who we are… It’s here to stay.”

The tweet may give some Jazz fans a sigh of relief after images surfaced showing what some said were leaked images of the new uniforms featuring a black, white and yellow scheme. Jazz Nation posted this Zapruder film-quality image of what those may look like.

Smith originally said the decision to rework the color scheme and overhaul the uniforms began when Wade’s mother planned to attend a game last season and wanted to know exactly what the Jazz team colors were. Wade reportedly told Smith they couldn’t figure it out. Not long after, the Jazz Note statue outside the arena from the multi-colored version to all-black, and news of a rebrand spread fast.

When it’s easier to tell someone which colors are not in the approved style guide, it may be time for a change. In fairness, all NBA teams have long since ditched the two-uniform configuration, and the popularity of newer combos has essentially given teams more than one color scheme.

So from black and white — plus yellow (allegedly) — and now purple (confirmed), fans are making sure they get their say. Replies to Smith’s tweet showed overwhelming support for including purple. 

Published
Marty Carpenter
MARTY CARPENTER

Marty Carpenter is a former contributor to The Frozen Rope — SI.com's team website covering the Utah Jazz. Carpenter is a former television sports broadcaster covering Big XII football and basketball in Oklahoma and Kansas.

Home/News