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Hometown heroes: With nod to Houston’s hoops history, Rockets unveil 2023-24 City uniforms

Ben DuBose
·4 min read
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On Thursday, Nov. 2, the Houston Rockets unveiled their Nike NBA City Edition uniforms for the 2023-24 regular season.

These City Edition uniforms are a part of the overarching Hometown Heroes storyline developed to celebrate NBA teams’ unique connection to their respective cities.

In the announcement, the team said it plans to amplify the storyline through Hakeem “The Dream” Olajuwon, Clyde “The Glide” Drexler, and show how their explosive, high-flying on-court performances carved out a place in basketball culture for the City of Houston.

The Rockets will wear these uniforms for 13 specially designated Hometown Heroes games throughout the season at Toyota Center. For each Hometown Heroes night, the Rockets will recognize individuals who make a positive impact in the City of Houston and its surrounding communities.

Here’s a look at the uniforms and further details.

2023-24 City Edition uniforms

City Edition schedule for Rockets

The Rockets will debut their City Edition uniforms on Wednesday, Nov. 8 vs. the Los Angeles Lakers. Olajuwon and Drexler will be honored that night for their longstanding contribution and service to the Houston community and basketball culture, and local artist Franky Cardona will unveil a Hometown Heroes mural on the concourse featuring the Hall of Fame duo.

Ticket packages for that game, which includes either an Olajuwon or Drexler Hometown Heroes T-shirt, are available at Rockets.com.

The complete City Edition schedule is as follows:

  • Wednesday, Nov. 8 vs. Los Angeles Lakers

  • Friday, Nov. 10 vs. New Orleans

  • Friday, Nov. 24 vs. Denver

  • Friday, Dec. 22 vs. Dallas

  • Friday, Dec. 29 vs. Philadelphia

  • Friday, Jan. 5 vs. Minnesota

  • Saturday, Jan. 6 vs. Milwaukee

  • Saturday, Jan. 20 vs. Utah

  • Friday, Feb. 2 vs. Toronto

  • Friday, Feb. 23 vs. Phoenix

  • Saturday, March 16 vs. Cleveland

  • Saturday, March 23 vs. Utah

  • Friday, April 5 vs. Miami

How to purchase

Fans may purchase City Edition apparel now at RocketsShop.com. The team shop at Toyota Center will open at 8 a.m. local time on Friday, Nov. 3 for fans looking to purchase items in person.

The first 200 fans to purchase a City Edition uniform there will receive an 8×10 print signed by either Olajuwon or Drexler. Beginning at 11:30 a.m., the first 100 fans who make a purchase will receive a voucher for an autograph session with Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr., which will take place at 1:30 p.m. local time.

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Features of the 2023-24 City Edition

The 2023-24 City Edition jersey is adorned with “H-Town” across the chest, which honors the impact Olajuwon and Drexler had in building the City of Houston’s love of basketball during their iconic Phi Slama Jama collegiate careers at the University of Houston.

The “H-Town” nickname was quickly adopted by the players and appeared on their team warmups during the 1982-83 season.

“I am deeply honored to have my career here in Houston celebrated by the Rockets in this special way,” said Olajuwon. “The new City jersey is a great representation of my college playing days.”

“It’s been 40 years since Hakeem and I played college basketball, and it’s an honor to know that this year’s team will wear a uniform that’s inspired by the impact we made on the game,” Drexler said.

For the team’s social media outlets and other marketing campaigns, storied sports broadcaster and University of Houston alumnus Jim Nantz voiced a special video highlighting the uniform.

According to the team, the jersey design is a fusion of classic and modern elements. It combines the sleek, contemporary style of today’s NBA uniforms with the retro flair from the Phi Slama Jama era. It prominently features “H-Town” in a sleek, script typeface with player’s name and numbers designed in a bold, collegiate style.

A standout feature of the uniform is the inclusion of a dunking astronaut on the side of the shorts, the team explains. This emblem pays homage to the high-flying style of Phi Slama Jama and to Houston’s status as “Space City.” The shorts also include silicon print signatures from Olajuwon and Drexler near the bottom corner tag.

2023-24 City Edition court

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Story originally appeared on Rockets Wire