Bleacher Report partnered with Mitchell & Ness to create the NBA Remix collection with the help of artists who live and bleed their respective cities. The media giant is now so much more than a sports blog as Bleacher Report has become a leading voice for the intersection of sports, hip-hop and fashion. See their World Cup capsule collection featuring The Roots, 21 Savage and Vince Staples. Or remember their show "Game of Zones?" An excellent stew of all things pop culture.
For the NBA Remix collection, some of the designs completely reimagine the NBA team's look. Some artists chose to only add a splash of influence. While others pay homage to a past era, true to Mitchell & Ness's penchant for vintage nods.
Here's our ranking of the eight Bleacher Report x Mitchell & Ness NBA Remix jersey designs.
8. Future - Atlanta Hawks
Are we sure Future had anything to do with this collab? The Atlanta Hawks jersey is really nothing special. The bird looks bored and the stars aren't interesting. The number is 6, representing Zone 6, which ATL legends young and old call their home. Future did throw his Freebandz logo on the back of the jersey and waistband of the shorts, but why wasn't there like a splash of purple somewhere? Anywhere?
7. ScHoolboy Q - Los Angeles Lakers
ScHoolboy Q's design for the Los Angeles Lakers jersey is very expected. The blue gives a nod to Q's street ties and pays homage to Lakers history when they resided in Minneapolis before moving to the City of Angels. They retained the blue colorway until 1966 when the iconic purple and gold was born. Not that the NBA Remix design is terrible, there's just too much going on: The tie-dye, the TDE logo, the "Los Angeles," "South Central," and "Q." It's just a lot. We do love the bucket hat — very signature Groovy Q. But it sold out within a day, so we will have to live without it and pass on the rest of the collection.
6. The Diplomats - New York Knicks
The Diplomats are iconic and so are the New York Knicks. Both are cemented in the culture of the city forever and ever. There's so many creative things that could have been done here. Instead, they kind of chose to just slap The Diplomats presidential logo on the front of the jersey. They also muted the orange to make it look more red. We do appreciate how the back of the jersey proudly reps "Harlem." Die-hard hip-hop heads will think this jersey is hard. But otherwise, it's kind of a yawn.
5. No Limit - New Orleans Pelicans
In classic No Limit fashion, this jersey is loud and gaudy. The iconic No Limit tank is surrounded by sparkle accents reminiscent of the glitzy No Limit album covers that dominated the 1990s. The jersey name is "Bout It," recalling the song — and movie — that put the label on the map after they moved back to Master P's hometown in 1995 (thus the 95 number). No Limit is big and bold. This jersey does the brand due justice.
4. Wale - Washington Wizards/Bullets
I love how they weren't afraid to go retro with this one. In 1997, the Washington Bullets rebranded as the more family-friendly Washington Wizards. But Wale brought back the Bullets name for this colorful jersey. The zig-zag design and red, green and yellow palette pay homage to his Nigerian heritage. The duality and the authenticity of this one make it a winner.
3. Big Sean - Detroit Pistons
Similar to ScHoolboy Q's design, Big Sean's Detroit Pistons jersey is busy. But the way it's arranged feels more like a collage than someone who went too happy in Photoshop. The 88 number comes from Big Sean's birth year (1988) but also his TWENTY88 duo with lover Jhene Aiko. Sean Don stays true to Detroit's blue and red colorway while adding fun splashes of color with the little advertisements showing the importance of community in Motor City. We stan for the long sleeve, which features the same chaotic yet composed arrangement.
2. E-40 - Golden State Warriors
This one strikes the perfect balance of the artist showcasing himself while integrating the team's identity. E-40 chose the 1960s "The City" jersey as his base for "The Bay" design. He made it black and blinged it out, put "Sick Wid It" on the nameplate to pay homage to his successful record label and of course, the number is 40. It's dripping with goodness.
1. DJ Khaled - Miami Heat
It really was a tough choice between E-40 and DJ Khaled. But we have to give DJ Khaled this one because, well, "We the best!" Similar to 40 oz., DJ Khaled's personal touches are blended perfectly with the Miami Heat's brand. He kept the red and black colorway and made the subtle yet powerful change of transforming the basketball logo to a ... KEY! Major. The nameplate reads "Another" to effortlessly fall to the number 1. Say it with me, "Another one." The chain detailing is just the icing on the cake. So luxurious, so hip-hop, so Miami.
Purchase the entire NBA Remix collection at BleacherReportShop.com.