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The Celtics had the perfect City Edition jersey in their hands… and somehow still fumbled it

Posted on June 9, 2025 - 2:47 am by

It’s only June, and we’ve already gotten our first glimpse of the rumored Boston Celtics “City Edition” jersey for the 2025-26 NBA season. On Saturday evening, Proline Mockups, a Twitter account dedicated to showcasing professional sports uniforms, released a thread featuring mockups of the yearly alternates for all 30 NBA franchises (with 21 designs revealed as of 10:15 a.m. ET on Sunday). The Celtics’ design has sparked plenty of buzz, but not all of it is positive.

According to the leak, the jersey features a white base adorned with accented designs inspired by the iconic Celtics parquet court. The lettering and numbers are gold with a black outline, complemented by a three-color stripe of gold, black, and white running along the sides of the torso. Gold trim accents the neck and armholes, tying the look together. Proline Mockups noted that this design may not be 100% accurate, leaving room for tweaks, but the gold lettering seems to be a confirmed element, as echoed by Celtics superfan GreenRunsDeep, who had previously inquired about a “white with gold lettering” design.

Let’s be clear: this jersey isn’t the worst thing Nike has ever slapped a Celtics logo on. After last season’s atrocious “Action Green” uniforms—neon monstrosities that might have cursed Boston’s playoff run—fans have every right to be cautiously optimistic about anything that moves away from that disaster. The parquet-inspired concept is a nod to Celtics tradition, and the gold adds a touch of flair. But here’s the kicker: there’s no green. None. For a team whose identity is synonymous with that vibrant, unmistakable shade, this feels like a swing and a miss.

The idea had so much potential. A white base with parquet patterns? That’s a great starting point. Gold lettering and accents? Bold and classy. If Nike had just swapped the black accents for green, this could have been one of the best City Edition jerseys in Celtics history. It was right there—a slam dunk of a design, ready to honor Boston’s legacy while looking fresh. Instead, they overthought it, trying to be too creative, and ended up with something that feels like it’s missing the soul of the team.

Every year, Nike rolls out explanations for their City Edition designs, tying colors and patterns to some aspect of the team’s history or city culture. Sometimes, those stories sway fans, sparking an “Oh, I get it now” moment. But designs, like jokes, shouldn’t need a backstory to work. If you have to explain why a jersey is cool, it’s probably not that cool. The absence of green is a glaring oversight, and no amount of narrative is likely to fully justify it.

I’ll give this design a C+. It’s not terrible, and I’ve softened on it slightly since the initial leak hit my feed last night. The parquet nod is clever, and the gold gives it a premium feel, but the lack of green is a gut punch. It’s especially frustrating when you look at other teams’ leaks in the same thread. The Miami Heat, for example, are bringing back their beloved black “Vice” jerseys—playing the hits and giving fans what they want. Meanwhile, the Celtics are out here experimenting with a green-less palette.

I had been holding out hope for a revival of the white, yellow, and green jerseys from the 2018-19 season—a clean, classic look that nailed the balance of tradition and modernity. Instead, we got this. There’s still a chance the final design incorporates some green when it’s officially unveiled, and if that happens, I’ll happily reassess and potentially bump up the grade. For now, though, this feels like a missed opportunity. The Celtics had the perfect City Edition jersey in their hands… and somehow still fumbled it.