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Timberwolves pay tribute to Prince with 'Purple Rain'-inspired unis

Prince, seen here in 2001 at a Toronto game, was a big basketball fan. (Getty)
Prince, seen here in 2001 at a Toronto game, was a big basketball fan. (Getty)

There’s never been anyone quite like Prince, and there’s never been a team quite like the 2018-19 Minnesota Timberwolves. Fine, those two descriptions don’t carry quite the same weight. But here’s what’s true: The T-wolves will pay tribute to the late legend with this year’s “City Edition” uniform.

Here’s a look at the leaked jersey:

And here, via Reddit, is a look at the leaked shorts:

The “Purple Rain”-themed T-wolves shorts. (via Reddit)
The “Purple Rain”-themed T-wolves shorts. (via Reddit)

They’re both a subtle but effective nod at Prince’s landmark “Purple Rain” album, not just the color scheme but also the font:

Purple Rain. (Photo via Heritage Auctions)
Purple Rain. (Photo via Heritage Auctions)

The City Edition threads pay tribute to each NBA city with a unique, distinctive look. Sure, you can be a cynic and say that they’re just a way to deke fans into buying more merch, but when the uniforms are this sweet, fans will line up.

Prince died two years ago at his home in Minnesota. He was quite the basketball player himself, both as a young lad and in his later years. If there’s any disappointment about these uniforms, it’s that they’re not blouses.

Here’s a ranking of last year’s City uniforms, in case you’ve forgotten. Look for the rest of 2018-19’s to trickle out over the coming months.
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Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at jay.busbee@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter or on Facebook.

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