The Golden State Warriors are 2022 Western Conference Champions and are headed to the NBA Finals for the 6th time in the last 8 years! They dominated the Western Conference Finals, closing out Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks 4-1, winning 120-110. Klay Thompson was on fire last night and led the way, draining 8 three’s and going for a team-high 32 points, 19 coming in the first half. Steph Curry took home the new “Magic Johnson” Western Conference Finals MVP Award after a stellar series. Shop Championship gear here.
Western Conference Champs! The @warriors are heading back to the #NBAFinals for the first time since 2019! 🏆🏀🌉
🛒: https://t.co/yDPSdGj1vI | #GoldBlooded pic.twitter.com/7eAhDJfBr0
— Fanatics (@Fanatics) May 27, 2022
The Warriors are one of the most-watched teams in NBA history. Some fans tune into the Golden State Warriors to witness Stephen Curry’s greatness. Others want to catch the star-studded roster and their fantastic teamwork in action. Either way, some variations of the blue and yellow colors have followed the team throughout many of its uniform changes. Check out some of the best Golden State Warriors uniforms in history.
The First Warriors Uniforms
Even though the Golden State Warriors have technically been around since 1946, they didn’t move to the San Francisco area until 1962. Of course, a move to a new hometown required a new uniform. The first Warrior’s uniforms were a dark blue jersey and shorts. Both were outlined with a yellow border. The jersey had “San Francisco” and the player’s number below it, in yellow letters. The uniforms were simple but allowed fans to focus on the players and their teamwork, rather than being distracted by the team uniforms.
“The City” Uniforms
The Golden State Warriors first wore “City” uniforms in 1966. Originally, the uniforms were designed as a way for the team to connect with their new hometown. These uniforms were yellow with blue lines and letters. A large circle with an outline of the Golden Gate Bridge was inside the circle, along with cable cars in blue colors. The player’s number was also in the middle of the circle in blue.
At the time, the uniforms were unique, as they were one of the few uniforms in NBA history to not include the team name or city. Instead, they just said “The City,” which implied that San Francisco and the surrounding areas of California were the city in reference. The uniforms were so well-liked by players and fans that they’ve brought them back numerous times since. The “City” uniforms reappeared in the 1990s and then again in the mid-2000s. More recently, they wore these throwback uniforms in 2016.
Golden State Name Uniforms
While the Golden State Warriors moved to San Francisco in 1962, but they didn’t change their name until 1971. Previously, they were referred to as the San Francisco Warriors. With the name change, the team needed new uniforms that reflected their dedication to the whole Golden State. They designed home uniforms in yellow and away uniforms in blue. While the Warrior uniforms of 1971 closely resembled the uniforms of today, these uniforms had a circle in the middle of the jersey.
At the top of the circle were the words “Golden State” and on the left side of the circle was an outline of the state of California with a star right over the Bay Area. This is often a favorite uniform among fans even today because it was the first uniform to recognize the fans who had loyally followed the team from all over the Bay Area.
Others may recall this uniform as the one the team wore to their first NBA championship title. The team wore these same uniforms to the 1975 finals where they swept the Washington Bullets, earning their first title in California.
Newer fans even had the opportunity to witness these iconic uniforms when the team brought them back in 2008, and again in 2011, during Hardwoods Classic Nights. The team kept a version of this uniform for many years, making only slight adjustments to the wording and the script.
Modern Uniforms of the 1990s
Compared to other Golden State Warriors uniforms, the uniforms of the 90s may have been subtle but they accompanied the team to an era of greatness. What made the Golden State Warriors uniforms of this time so unique, was that it was a time when other NBA teams were playing around with more creative uniforms, like brighter colors or more vibrant logos. From 1989-97, the team wore white uniforms with blue “Warriors” across the front.
The player’s number was directly underneath the team name, also in blue letters. On the road, the team swapped out these uniforms with all blue ones with white letters. The shorts had yellow piping. The team’s latest logo was also on the left leg of the shorts. The team’s captains also wore a large letter “C” on the jersey. Fanatics may recall the “Big Three” adorning the “C”s on their uniforms, which included Tim Hardaway, Mitch Richmond, and Chris Mullin.
The “Big Three” who wore the Golden State Warrior uniforms with the “C” were referred to as Run TMC. The fan-given name for the trio was invented out of a contest the team ran asking fans to come up with a nickname to describe them. Run TMC was inspired by the popular hip-hop group Run DMC, which stuck with them throughout the season.
Current Golden State Warrior Uniforms
The current Golden state uniforms have been around since 2010. After a brief return to integrating orange into their uniforms in the late 1990s, the team returned to their iconic colors, blue and yellow. This uniform change also brought a logo update for the Warriors.
2010 is also the same year that a new owner bought the Golden State Warriors. This marked the beginning of a new era for the team. Despite a long list of doubts, the changes worked well for the Golden State Warriors. The team kept Stephen Curry, drafted Klay Thomson, and signed more premier players to the roster, including Andre-Iguodala and Kevon Looney. The team went on to break records and win their first championship in over four decades.
The Bay 2018 Uniforms
Occasionally, the team, and other NBA teams, will wear limited-time uniforms on the court. The Golden State Warriors introduced a limited uniform in 2018 called “The Bay.” These uniforms, which used the same colors are the current Warriors uniforms, were meant to honor the area’s large Asian culture. In fact, the Bay Area is home to three of the largest Asian populations in the country. The team wanted to honor a large group of their fan base which consists of Asian backgrounds.
The yellow uniforms were outlined in red and blue colors. “The Bay” stretched across the top of the jersey in blue. Directly below that is a large circle with a Chinese symbol inside. Right in the middle of the circle is the player’s number in red. This also wasn’t the first time the Warriors honored their Asian fans. In 2015, they wore black and red uniforms with a red outline of the San Francisco Bridge. These uniforms were in celebration of the Lunar New Year.
What To Expect for Golden State Warriors Uniforms Going Forward
The team has stuck with blue and yellow for much of its history. But, that hasn’t stopped them from getting creative. it’s hard to say what the Golden State Warriors could have in the plans for the future uniforms. They often wear throwback uniforms that honor earlier times. They also frequently release uniforms with minimal updates to them. On occasion, they introduce multiple uniforms at one time.
In 2019, the Golden State Warriors moved from their home at the Oakland Arena to Chase Center. To celebrate the brand-new stadium, the Golden State Warriors released a total of six uniforms for the 2019-20 season. The two primary uniforms used a different font but were similar to the prior uniforms. The team also updated its logo. The updated logo is blue, which differs from the inverted color theme of the previous logo. For the 2021 to 2022 season, they dropped one and currently have five uniforms in rotation.
Some of the Best Players to Wear the Golden State Warriors Uniforms
Some of the best professional basketball players have worn the yellow and blue colors of the Warriors. From Wilt Chamberlain and Rick Barry in the 1960s to recent players like Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors has earned its place in the top five NBA teams. In fact, many NBA fans would even go as far as to list them as the top team. They earned the record for the best regular season and tied their home record for wins at 39.
Stepping outside of what’s considered standard or traditional has long been a part of the Golden State Warriors’ culture. While they’ve stayed loyal to the blue and yellow colors, they’ve also found ways to integrate pride for their city and the Bay Area in their uniform and logo updates. The uniform history has done the Golden State Warriors well with a total of six championships, with three of them within a four-year span from 2014 to 2018.
The Golden State Warriors are often referred to as one of the best teams across all leagues. Fanatics can show off their Golden State and Bay Area pride with officially licensed sports apparel. Sports collectibles and memorabilia can help fans relive some of their favorite Golden State Warriors NBA championship moments.
