CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Cavaliers have unveiled their 2019-20 Nike “Classic Edition” uniform as part of the franchise’s 50th Season Celebration. The throwback Classic Edition is a nod to the black, orange and powder blue uniform the team debuted 25 years ago for their inaugural season at Gund Arena and return home to the shores of Lake Erie.
The 2019-20 Cavaliers will wear the retro Classic Edition uniform for the first time during the season home opener on Saturday, October 26 vs. Indiana Pacers at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse and then during seven additional games throughout the 50th season.
The team will introduce a modern take on the fan-favorite black uniform that originally debuted during the 1994-95 season when the Cavs returned to downtown Cleveland to play in the brand-new Gund Arena after two decades of playing more than 20 miles away at the Coliseum in Richfield, Ohio.
The team’s much-anticipated homecoming introduced a fresh new identity for the Cavs that featured a roster that included Mark Price, John “Hot Rod” Williams, Chris Mills, Bobby Phills, Tyrone Hill and Terrell Brandon under head coach Mike Fratello, and ushered in a new era of Cavaliers basketball in the heart of their namesake city.
“These retro uniforms spark special memories and feelings for our fans and the organization alike. It was a very exciting re-launch downtown for everyone back then,” said Tracy Marek, Cavs chief marketing officer. “We are excited to see threads of the past weave into the future as we prepare to once again tip-off a new era of Cavaliers basketball, this time in the newly-transformed Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.”
Throughout the 2019-20 season, the Cavaliers will pay homage to the journey of the franchise over the past 50 seasons with various “Era Nights” dedicated to remembering five periods of Cavs history beginning in 1970 when the team first joined the league as an NBA expansion team. Each “Era Night” will feature exclusive giveaways, unique content and activities, in-game moments and more—all to give fans the opportunity to relive and experience the journey of the Cavaliers over the last 50 seasons.
The Cavaliers will wear the Classic Edition uniform during eight games throughout the 2019-20 season, including the Cavs home opener.
Uniform Design
Designed in collaboration with Nike, the Classic Edition is a one-year alternate uniform and joins the Icon (wine), Association (white), City (to be announced at a later date) and Statement (black) uniforms as one of five uniforms in the Cavs 2019-20 season collection.
The front of the black shell features CLEVELAND in an orange and black inline typeface that is slanted upwards across the chest. The neckline is a traditional scoop neck that reflects the style of uniform worn during the 1994-95 season. The Nike Swoosh logo is positioned on the upper right chest with the iconic Goodyear Wingfoot logo on the upper left. The player number is in white and offset beneath LAND in CLEVELAND.
The back of the uniform features the player name in orange and black and the player number centered beneath the name in white and black. The NBA logo is centered above the lettering of the player’s last name.
The black shorts feature the Cavs logo from 1994-2003 and a blue splash that stretches from the bottom of the right leg to the top of the left leg.
Classic Edition Collection
The Cavaliers 2019-20 Classic Edition Collection is limited in production and will only be available for purchase during the 2019-20 season.
The new collection features adult and youth player jerseys (with the Goodyear Wingfoot patch), hoodies, tees and shorts. In addition to player jerseys, fans will have the unique opportunity to customize the name and number on their Classic Edition jersey.
The retro collection will be available for purchase online at Cavs.com/shop and at the Cavaliers Team Shop at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse beginning in October. Until then, fans can sign up at Cavs.com/Classic to be notified of an exclusive presale opportunity.
Cavs Introduce Two New Homecourts
A special Classic Edition court has been designed to complement the team’s uniform during eight games throughout the upcoming season. The court is inspired by the Gund Arena Homecourt used from 1996-2003.
The natural maple hardwood floor is framed with a two-toned powder blue and black perimeter and is accented by the wave pattern featured in the Classic Edition design. The lane is solid orange with black and white accents. The Cavs classic logo is also displayed at half court.
The east sideline features “Cavs.com” near the home bench with the team’s social media handle “@Cavs” at the visitor’s bench as well as the NBA logo positioned at the half court line. Each baseline proudly displays the throwback Cleveland Cavaliers wordmark in orange and black inline typeface. The Cavaliers 50th season logo and the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse logo can be read on each half court.
Designed by the Cavaliers creative team, the Classic Edition court was constructed by Cincinnati Floor Company in Cincinnati, Ohio.
A unique 50th season Main Court has also been created for the 2019-20 season. Displayed at center court is the recently introduced logo that highlights 50 seasons of Cavaliers basketball through a dominant 5-0 in a bold, gold fill. The numbers are outlined in the Cavaliers heritage colors of wine and gold, first introduced to the team in 1970 and later re-introduced to the team in 2010-11. Centered at the bottom of the numbers is the Cavaliers partial logo to reflect the current team brand.
A solid gold perimeter frames the natural maple hard wood floor. The lane is solid wine with gold accents. On each baseline are black, wine and white hash marks that bookend “Cleveland Cavaliers” in an aggressive wine and black front. Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse can be read on each half court and the east sideline features “Cavs.com” near the home bench and the team’s social media handle “@Cavs” at the visitor’s bench with the NBA logo positioned at the half court line.
“Celebrating 50 Seasons” is centered on the west sideline and will include the names of all Wine & Gold United members (the team’s year-round season ticket-based club) within the letters.
Also designed by the Cavaliers creative team, the Main Court was constructed by Robbins Sports Surfaces in Appleton, Wisconsin.
