ALTLG Extra: In Which Half The Nation Learns D.C. Has An NBA Team

Note to Reader: This entry was originally posted last Wednesday, but due to technical difficulties beyond my control, was lost until now. Sorry for the delay–I know it's old news now, I'm doing my best to keep updates frequent and regular. 

The blue sloth-thing and the And1 guy's days in the District may be numbered. 

Big news out of the District of Columbia as the Washington Wizards have unveiled new logos and colors, and of course, new uniforms. I'll only make brief remarks and leave most of the commentary to Uniwatch, who has already expertly covered the rebranding more thoroughly that I could hope to.

Harkening back to an older style has been the recent rebranding trend in the NBA, exemplified by Utah, Golden State and Philly. So while the Wizards' new threads are a marked improvement, it's not like this hasn't been done before. However, the new wordmarks do present some nice details. Notable are the hands on the "DC" logo that call back to the Bullets era, and the silhouette of the Washington Monument created by the stems of the "H" and "D." The usage of a landmark in the logo is reminiscent of the Washington Capitals secondary logo in which the shape of the Capitol Dome is created by the negative space of the eagle. It's certainly no coincidence that the Wizards and Caps now share some aesthetic similarities; they're both owned by Ted Leonsis and Monumental Sports and Entertainment.

Overall, the uniforms are a significant improvement over the 90s styled blue and gold they've worn in the past. While this uniform set doesn't exactly flirt with perfection, it does seem to stay away from the arbitrary stripes and panels that have plagued many of the NBA's modern uniforms. My only real criticism is a minor one: the silver/gray trim around the numbers looks dull to me. Against the jerseys' bold, contrasting stripes, the darker trim seems out of place, and last minute. It makes the numbers look cheap or glued on; I would have very much liked to see them go with white instead. Aside from a few minor annoyances it's still a solid improvement. And if you're a team like the Wizards, you can be happy that at ALTLG there is more than one way to win.