This morning in New York City, Nike unveiled the latest innovations in basketball uniforms through the Nike Hyper Elite Platinum series. Honoring the eight universities that have won National Championships in Nike kit —Arizona, Baylor, Connecticut, Duke, Florida, Kentucky, North Carolina and Syracuse— the Hyper Elite program celebrates an excellence and passion representing 31 Division 1 titles in both the men's and women's game.
Since 2007, Nike has been working to transform the basketball uniform, taking cues from the stylistic choices of icons like Michael Jordan and Michigan's Fab Five while pushing performance through lighter materials and technologies. The Nike Hyper Elite Platinum uniform ties the past to the future. Classic details are drawn from each of the school's past uniforms (look closely at the shorts, for example), and build on legacy beyond simple color cues.
The performance push is boosted by employment of bonded seams and laser cut details. Both help to minimize weight while creating a uniform that reads cleanly both on court and on television (after all, the viewer is as important to uniform design as the athlete). Numbers and letters are in bold reflective material, stitched at the outer edges for improved legibility. In addition, sublimated graphics to the back of the jersey promote specific school traditions and honor championship victories (stars are employed to denote championships).
Nike's commitment to sustainability is also evident in the Nike Hyper Elite Platinum uniform, with the percentage of recycled plastic material employed again increased from previous designs.
Teams will also sport a basketball specific version of the classic N98 warm-up decorated with the years of Championship seasons.
