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When did the tradition of wearing traditional white uniforms at home fade away in the NBA?\u00a0<\/p>\n
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A longtime tradition in the NBA and college basketball is that the home team always wears white, forcing the road team to wear something different.<\/p>\n
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The decision dates back to black-and-white television, when “color vs. color” games, such as blue-versus-red uniforms, were discouraged to prevent viewer confusion. However beginning with the 2017-18 season, the NBA allowed the home team to choose any uniform. The League also worked with Nike, its apparel provider, to eliminate the “home” and “away” uniform designations altogether during the same season.<\/p>\n
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The result has been two-fold. Nike’s deal with the\u00a0NBA allowed them to flood the market with more alternate uniforms and colorways. Home teams also began wearing white at home way less often.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Per Yahoo’s Kevin O’Connell, the home team has worn white in only 22 of 66 NBA playoff games so far this year. Back in the 2016 NBA postseason, home teams wore white in 83 of 86 games, including every round two, Conference Finals & Finals game. That’s a 64 percent difference in the span of a decade.\u00a0<\/p>\n
What happened to home teams wearing white jerseys?<\/p>\n
The home team has worn white in only 22 of 66 NBA playoff games so far this year.<\/p>\n
Ten years ago, home teams wore white in 83 of 86 games, including every round two, Conference Finals & Finals game.<\/p>\n
From 97% to 33% in a decade. pic.twitter.com\/OfenqtboKG<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Kevin O’Connor (@KevinOConnor) May 14, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n “I think this is a mistake by the\u00a0NBA. I think it’s a mistake by Nike. I think the tradition aspect matters,” O’Connell opined on his podcast<\/a> this week. “I think to be able to turn on the game and immediately know who’s playing, you identify jerseys with teams. You can have all the fun you want during the regular season, even during the playing and during the first round. Have all the fun you want. From there on forward, I think the home team’s going to be wearing white except for some rare occasions.”<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Houston’s traditional white uniforms<\/p>\n To drive this point home, the Houston Rockets<\/a> opted to wear red during both home games against the Los Angeles Lakers this postseason. In Game 3, the Rockets’ red uniforms were paired against the Lakers’ yellows, in Game 4, the Rockets’ red contrasted against the Lakers’ “Sunday whites”\u2014in honor of Chick\u00a0Hearn\u2014even though Houston gets to dictate the terms. The Rockets wore their white uniforms on the road in Game 2 and Game 5.\u00a0<\/p>\n In last year’s postseason against the Golden State Warriors, the Rockets memorably wore their white jerseys in a Game 7 loss at home, but they were in their alternate “City Edition” jerseys<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n The Houston Rockets wore their traditional white uniforms twice during the postseason, both times on the road in Los Angeles against the Lakers.\u00a0<\/p>\n Anadolu\/Anadolu via Getty Images<\/p>\n In fact, the last time the Rockets wore their traditional white uniforms at home was on March 21 against the Miami Heat. What’s notable is that the Rockets played six more home games after their 123-122 win over the Heat, but four of them were in their white “Dunkstronaut” alternate uniforms<\/a>, and two were either in red or black.<\/p>\n Longtime basketball critic Ethan Strauss recognizes that uniform choice is something that will easily rile up his audience. \u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p>\n