SAN ANTONIO — George Gervin laughed when he saw the old photo. That was the moment it dawned on him: He'd grown past vintage. He was now officially "classic."
"What gave them this idea?" Gervin, 74, asked when shown the San Antonio Spurs' Classic Edition uniforms paying homage to their ABA days. "I want to know where it comes from."
The Spurs revealed their new threads Tuesday morning alongside the Brooklyn Nets, Denver Nuggets and Indiana Pacers, joining their fellow ABA franchises in celebrating the 50th anniversary of the 1976 merger. Their release featured Gervin's narration over an animated sequence depicting Carter Bryant and Dylan Harper riding in a convertible Chevrolet Impala.
Save for centered numbers (Gervin's were aligned to the right), the jerseys were identical.
Per the Spurs, the uniform represents the team’s connection to its past, as well as its future in downtown San Antonio. It's a reproduction of the team’s original home uniforms worn at the downtown HemisFair Arena, featuring a silver base, an arched "Spurs" wordmark and a special ABA anthem tag directly above the jock tag.
“Honoring our ABA roots through this Classic Edition uniform gives us an opportunity to celebrate the history that helped shape the Spurs and our city,” Spurs Sports & Entertainment vice president of marketing, creative and retail Jordan Mandelkorn said, via press release.
The Spurs also unveiled a new court design to accompany the uniforms, featuring the team's ABA-era logo at center court, blue sidelines and baselines and red and white painted areas.
The Spurs will wear their Classic Edition uniforms for nine games this season as part of their "Classic Nights" schedule. Six will be at home and three on the road against the Nets, Nuggets or Pacers. All three former ABA teams will also visit Frost Bank Center, with both teams wearing their classic uniforms and the home team playing on its corresponding court.
The dates, times and TV designations for all nine "Classic Nights" are as follows:
- Wednesday, Nov. 4: SAS vs. DAL | 8:30 p.m. Central (ESPN)
- Friday, Dec. 18: SAS vs. CHI | 7 p.m. Central
- Wednesday, Dec. 23: SAS @ BKN | 6:30 p.m. Central
- Wednesday, Jan. 6: SAS vs. IND | 7 p.m. Central
- Sunday, Feb. 28: SAS vs. DEN | noon Central (ABC)
- Wednesday, March 3: SAS @ DEN | 9 p.m. Central (ESPN)
- Thursday, March 18: SAS vs. BKN | 7 p.m. Central
- Thursday, March 25: SAS @ IND | 6 p.m. Central
- Friday, April 9: SAS vs. DEN | 8:30 p.m. Central (Prime)
The Spurs' Classic Edition uniforms round out their five-kit rotation this season. They'll also bring back their gray Statement Edition uniforms and the Fiesta-themed City Edition uniforms revamped last year. Frost Bank Center will host five "Fiesta Nights" this season.
Gervin enjoys those, too, but he's particularly excited for the Spurs' Classic Edition uniforms to see the hardwood again, even if his playing days have long been over.
"When you ... (are) entertaining and have a community," Gervin began, "you win. That's what makes this franchise exceptional. I've seen it for over 50 years. I'm proud to still be part of it."
League Reveals All 30 NBA Cup Courts
In addition to the Spurs' Classic Edition court revealed on Tuesday, the NBA unveiled its NBA Cup courts for all 30 teams to be used on Cup Nights in the fall.
The Spurs' court will again feature their primary logo at center court instead of "San Antonio," retaining its dark gray background and NBA Cup trophy placement from last season.
San Antonio is competing in West Group C this season, joining the Portland Trail Blazers, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers and Sacramento Kings. Last year, the Spurs finished with a Group Play record of 3-1 before advancing to the Knockout Stage and, eventually, the Cup Final, where they fell 124-113 to the New York Knicks in Las Vegas.
Group Play will take place every Friday from Oct. 30-Nov. 27 and on Tuesday, Nov. 24 and Wednesday, Nov. 25. The NBA Cup Quarterfinals will be played on Dec. 4 and Dec. 5 in team markets and the NBA Cup Semifinals will be played on Dec. 8 and Dec. 9 in team markets.
The NBA Cup Final is set for Friday, Dec. 11 at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
The Spurs' Group Play schedule, including times and TV designations, is listed below:
- Friday, Nov. 6: SAS @ SAC | 9 p.m. Central
- Friday, Nov. 13: SAS vs. GSW | 8:30 p.m. Central (Prime)
- Wednesday, Nov. 25: SAS @ POR | 9 p.m. Central (ESPN)
- Friday, Nov. 27: SAS vs. LAL | 8:30 p.m. Central (Prime)
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