New Boston Celtics Sleeved Jerseys Outrage Fans With Color Scheme

The Boston Celtics and Adidas announced a new range of sleeved jerseys for the team, and fans aren't happy about it.  

The Boston Celtics possess one of the most instantly recognisable uniforms in all of professional sport. That storied Celtic green has been a huge part of their history for as long as the NBA has been around, which is why when the team revealed their new alternate sleeved jerseys today, fans were upset withthe new gray color scheme. The Celtics announced their new Parquet Pride Collection jerseys with a video through twitter.

The @Celtics and @adidas have unveiled a new uniform to honor the team's legacy and future. #ParquetPride https://t.co/Vw0P8UEefH

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) November 7, 2014

Sure the team have played around with using black and gold with their traditional green and white, but for the new jerseys - a part of the NBA's attempt to corral the interest and spending dollars of fans who aren't so keen on the sleeveless jerseys - to skew to something away from those colours to the seemingly neutral gray has been too much for some fans to handle. It's also a big move for the Celtics, one of the NBA's signature franchises, and one who have proven somewhat resistant to changing such an iconic jersey and color scheme. 

The Celtics announced the jerseys as a way to "honour the team's legacy and future", which quickly enraged fans arguing that Bill Russell never wore a gray jersey. The team will wear them for six games this season, similar to how the Brooklyn Nets honoured their hometown's legacy by wearing sleeved jerseys based on the colour scheme of the long-departed Brooklyn Dodgers. The Celtics will wear the uniforms on Nov. 28, Dec. 7, Jan. 2, Feb. 6, March 4 and April 12 - dates that have historical Celtic significance. 

.@smart_MS3 and Avery Bradley showing off the new @adidasHoops #Celtics uniforms!!!! #adidas pic.twitter.com/rIE25oJxwZ

— Emily Austen (@emilyausten_) November 7, 2014

So far in fan discussion they've met with loud criticism, with people unhappy with not just the colour scheme, but also the sleeves and odd features on the Parquet Pride Collection jerseys such as the Celtic belt buckle.

Regardless, the sleeved jersey phenomena is definitely a priority for the NBA and jersey makers, and don't appear to be going away any time soon.