TITLE: NBA’s St. Patrick’s Day Jerseys: A Look Back at the Green-Tinted Era
SLUG: nba-st-patricks-day-uniforms-retrospective
CONTENT:
For the first time since Nike assumed leaguewide uniform duties in 2017-18, the NBA’s eight games on March 17, 2026 once again tip off without any holiday-specific jerseys. The absence marks a continued break from a tradition that flourished under Adidas, when several teams regularly swapped their standard colors for green St. Patrick’s Day threads.
Nike’s “Edition” program and its growing emphasis on annual City Edition releases replaced the one-day designs, a direction reaffirmed in the company’s 12-year contract extension with the NBA and WNBA signed in 2024. As the league plays on in standard uniforms this holiday, here is a recap of the most notable St. Patrick’s Day looks from the Adidas era.
New York Knicks
Record in holiday uniforms: 3-3
The Knicks unveiled a full-green ensemble with orange and black accents against the Detroit Pistons on March 17, 2006, edging the conference leaders 105-103 behind Jamal Crawford’s 18 bench points. New York kept the look through the 2011-12 season, closing the run with a win over the Indiana Pacers.
Chicago Bulls
Record in holiday uniforms: 4-6
Chicago’s trademark red gave way to green starting March 18, 2006 in an 85-84 loss to the Miami Heat. While the jerseys turned green, the bull logo on shorts and jersey backs stayed black and red. The Bulls wore the set every season through 2016-17, skipping only 2015-16.
Boston Celtics
Record in holiday uniforms: 4-4
Already iconic for their green, the Celtics added gold numbers and lettering for St. Patrick’s Day 2006 and introduced a short-sleeve version in 2013-14. Boston used the special design until the 2017-18 campaign.
Toronto Raptors
Record in holiday uniforms: 1-4
Toronto joined the celebration on March 17, 2008, debuting green road uniforms in a loss to the Utah Jazz. The Raptors continued wearing the set for four seasons, recording their lone victory when Chris Bosh hit a game-winning jumper with two seconds left against the Atlanta Hawks in 2010.
The league’s shift toward season-long uniform concepts has left these St. Patrick’s Day jerseys in storage, but their brief run remains a distinctive chapter in NBA style history.
Source: ESPN
