Rockets display trio of new alternates, including 'Clutch City' design

ByPaul Lukas ESPN logo
Wednesday, September 16, 2015

It's not all that unusual for a team to hold an unveiling event for a new alternate uniform, but the Houston Rockets took things to the next level by unveiling three alternate uniforms on Tuesday night:

The uniform likely to draw the most attention is the red "Clutch City" design, which will make its on-court debut Nov. 14. It replaces the team's previous alternate uniform, which has since been mothballed, and joins the NBA's growing roster of "pride" jerseys based on city nicknames, including the Portland Trail Blazers' "Rip City" design and the Detroit Pistons' "Motor City" uniform.

On Nov. 25, the Rockets will debut a new gray uniform (although the team is calling it "silver"). This one, like the "Clutch City" design, will have sleeves:

Interestingly, the checkerboard motif on the side panels is based on the design of NASA's old Gemini rockets from the 1960s:

The Rockets' third new uniform is a sleeveless black design, which will serve as a road alternate beginning in the 2016-17 season:

There should be more NBA uniform news later this week, as the New Orleans Pelicans have scheduled a "special unveiling event" for Thursday afternoon. Earlier leaks and reports suggest that the design will feature a sleeved navy jersey with "NOLA" across the chest.