Golden State Warriors Reveal Short-Sleeve Compression Jerseys

The biggest basketball storyline in the Bay Area these days is the fact that the Golden State Warriors are 30-21 and primed to make the playoffs. Right now, though, all the buzz is about the Warriors unveiling a uniform never before seen in the NBA—one with sleeves.

That's right, folks—the Warriors are trendsetters. Your mind is blown, I know.

From Marcus Thompson II of the San Jose Mercury News:

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On Monday, the Warriors will unveil their yellow, alternate uniforms. They will be the first team in the modern NBA era to play in something other than a tank top.

The Warriors will debut the new unis for their Feb. 22 home game against the San Antonio Spurs, which is being aired on ESPN. They will also wear them March 8 vs. Houston and March 15 vs. Chicago.

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You probably want more details on this Adidas design, right? No worries, friends—Thompson II has you covered:

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It's being called the "adizero NBA short sleeve uniform system." And Adidas boasts it as a revolutionary marriage between performance and aesthetics.

The uniforms are 26 percent lighter than the traditional jerseys, which Adidas said its research revealed was most important to players. They come with the ever-popular moisture-absorbing feature. The sleeves are made with stretch fabric that wraps 360 degrees around the shoulder to ensure full range of motion, because anyone who has played basketball knows how a T-shirt's sleeve can interfere with a jumper. 

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Here's another look at the new digs, featuring rookie small forward Harrison Barnes in flight.

Now, first things first—they sure are yellow, aren't they? I actually like the design of the logo, the understated "Warriors" script and the numbers splashed across the front of the jersey. However, the first time I saw the jersey, I thought Barnes was wearing a workout shirt.

I'm digging the blue and white stripe down the side of the top and shorts, but again, there is a lot of yellow happening here. 

As for the "revolutionary" sleeves, well, it's an odd look, isn't it? I suppose that's just the novelty in play—I'm sure we would get used to it if more teams adopted the style—but for now it looks really strange on an NBA uniform.

The actual technology and fabric behind the uniforms makes a lot of sense. Flexible, light and moisture-absorbing threads sound pretty excellent. While fans will focus on the sleeves and all the yellow, those features will be a real plus for the players.

All in all, you have to give Adidas and the Warriors props for trying something new. Will it stick? I don't know. But it's certainly an interesting entry into the evolution of the NBA uniform.