Taking a Look Back at NBA Uniforms of Christmas Past and Present

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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2013 NBA Christmas Jerseys
Image via adidas

It's that time of year again. Are you counting down the days until the 25th? No, we're not talking about Christmas celebrations, but the NBA Christmas Day games. The action kicks off at 12 PM eastern with the Brooklyn Nets hosting Chicago, and will be followed by match-ups between Oklahoma City and New York, Miami and the Los Angeles Lakers, Houston and San Antonio, and finally the Los Angeles Clippers and Golden State.

If that isn't enough to get you excited, don't forget about the buzzed-about sleeved uniforms the teams will be wearing. When adidas took over the NBA contract in 2006, they wasted little time in adding their own festive flair to the traditional jerseys. It started small in 2007, but eventually, Christmas Day jerseys became the new tradition, and there's no telling which direction they'll take next year.

Reminisce and look ahead to this year's games with the NBA uniforms of Christmas past and present.

Riley Jones is a freelance writer from Charlottesville, VA and a contributor to Sneaker Report. With an unshakable affinity for basketball and all things ’90s, he can be found on Twitter @rchrstphr.

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2007-2011 NBA Christmas Jerseys
Images via Getty Images/Ronald Martinez and Getty Images/Lisa Blumenfeld

2007-2011 - Snowflake Patches

For Christmas Day games from 2007 to 2011, adidas kept it relatively subtle with silver snowflake patches that were adorned with the iconic Jerry West logo. Each team's jerseys stuck with their usual designs and color schemes, but the small insignia made them that much more festive.

2012 NBA Christmas Jerseys
Image via adidas

2012 - Big Color

All team color everything. Last year, the Three Stripes kicked it up a notch with these color splashed jerseys. Whether you bled Boston green or Miami red, fans and players were able to rep their team to the fullest in these "Big Color" kits.

2012 NBA Christmas Jerseys
Image via adidas

2007-2012 NBA Christmas Jerseys
Image via adidas

2007-2012 NBA Christmas Jerseys
Image via adidas

2013 NBA Christmas Jerseys
Image via adidas

2013 - Big Logo

For this year's Christmas Day games, adidas has unveiled their most radical design yet. These sleeved jerseys are more reminiscent of soccer uniforms than traditional basketball get-ups, but that's precisely what makes them so cool. Sure, they look a lot different than what we're used to, but the draw of seeing these jerseys in action adds even more appeal to this year's games.

2013 NBA Christmas Jerseys
Image via adidas

2013 NBA Christmas Jerseys
Image via adidas

2013 NBA Christmas Jerseys
Image via adidas

2013 NBA Christmas Jerseys
Image via adidas

2013 NBA Christmas Jerseys
Image via adidas

2013 NBA Christmas Jerseys
Image via adidas

2013 NBA Christmas Jerseys
Image via adidas

2013 NBA Christmas Jerseys
Image via adidas

2013 NBA Christmas Jerseys
Image via adidas

Riley Jones is a freelance writer from Charlottesville, VA and a contributor to Sneaker Report. With an unshakable affinity for basketball and all things ’90s, he can be found on Twitter @rchrstphr.

RELATED: NBA and adidas Unveil “BIG Color” Christmas Uniforms
RELATED:
adidas Unveils “Big Logo” NBA Uniforms for Christmas Day Games