The story behind Nike's new NBA City Edition uniforms

From the snakeskin pattern to the 16 championship stars, the drop shadow numbers to the 1990s-esque trim, the Los Angeles Lakers' new Nike City Edition uniform is nothing if not detailed. And 29 other teams can say the same.

This season's fourth and final set of uniforms, released by the NBA's exclusive apparel provider on Wednesday, are like nothing the league, nor pro sports, has seen before. Each version dives deep into city and team culture, referencing everything from monuments to franchise legends, to shed light on what makes one organization different from the next.

"With City Edition, we felt like this could be really compelling to make a true connection of, still the organization, but the organization in reflection to their city and their community," Elesban Montoya, senior graphic designer at Nike, told USA TODAY Sports by phone. "What does it mean to be a Chicago Bulls fan? What does it mean to be a part of Chicago?"

The designers at Nike worked directly with the league and each NBA team to find out, with the objective of "owning" both franchise and city pride in mind.

IN PHOTOS: Nike City Edition uniforms

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"We found that finding the intersection between those two things is what defined each team's program," Montoya said. "We felt like we had to define the fabric of the city. Every detail on that uniform truly became a reflection of what their narrative was to be."

The uniforms will be worn sporadically throughout the remainder of this season, then Nike will start all over again for 2018-19.

"What we want to drive is authenticity," Montoya said. "It's going to be really important to us. So whatever's the social status, the conversation that's going on behind the cities at the moment, we want to make sure that we honor that."

The Lakers' uniform focuses mostly on Kobe Bryant, who earlier this month became the first player in NBA history to have two jersey numbers retired by one team.

In addition to the black mamba snakeskin, a nod to Bryant's nickname, the uniform features Bryant's No. 24 on the waistband, designed to also be read as "L.A." The jersey, which resembles the jerseys Bryant wore during the early years of his career, also features his signature above the tag.

"One thing that he always admired, which was inspirational for us, was that every time he put on his jersey, he felt like he was able to carry the weight of the city and the organization, and he loved that," said Montoya, who worked directly with Bryant during the design process. "That mindset, that he used to actually transform into that alter ego, we had to deliver it. It truly is what made the Lakers special for those 20 years. So bringing that black mamba to life was the key.

"It's interesting enough, when you look at a black mamba, the reason we chose the black color instead of the gray color, which is the exterior color of the mamba in regards to the scales ... is because that's the first thing you'll see and the last thing you'll see on a mamba. Once it strikes, you'll see the black lining of its mouth, and that's the last thing you'll see (too). It's that aggressive. It strikes multiple times, like Kobe used to. It's relentless."

The Boston Celtics' uniform, which may look like a typical gray and green alternate at first glance, ventures further into the past than that of the Lakers. Among its features:

Pattern resembling the Celtics' storied parquet floor.
Signature of the legendary Red Auerbach above the jersey tag.
Gray color scheme, which is a tip of the cap to the black and white photographs that define much of the franchise's history.
"2008 World Champions" banner on the waistband.

"The team themselves said, 'We want to honor, basically, our legends. There's no other team that has Hall of Famers like we do,' " said Montoya.

The Brooklyn Nets' uniform, meanwhile, focuses more on the history of New York City's most populous borough, using a suspension cable pattern inspired by the Brooklyn Bridge.

"We felt the bridge was just the perfect metaphor to unite all their regions, all the enclaves that truly make Brooklyn what it is," Montoya said. "So that was really compelling. ... A lot of teams in the past have had pinstripes, but for them it became really unique ... creating this modern interpretation of those pinstripes, which just appeals to Brooklyn, who they are and everything."

As for the NBA's 27 other teams, some of the most unique features include:

Indiana Pacers: Vertical checkered flag on the left side of the jersey to represent Indiana's tradition of auto racing.
Memphis Grizzlies: Black and white color scheme to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the civil rights movement and mimic the look of 1960s strike posters.
Philadelphia 76ers: Parchment paper-inspired base color and script that resembles the Declaration of Independence.
Washington Wizards: Marble pattern on each side of the jersey to mimic the Washington monument.

Nike's goal, as Montoya sees it, is more than just designing a jersey that will fly off the shelves. It's about changing the game, and the way it's viewed by the fans, for now and for good.

"We always talk about the '90s being the golden era of basketball, but for us as a design group, we want to reestablish that," Montoya said. "We want fans now to consider this, with us now being the sponsor of the NBA, we want people of the future to be able to look back at this time, our time now, and say, 'That was the golden era.' "

Follow USA TODAY Sports' AJ Neuharth-Keusch on Twitter @tweetAJNK

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