iStockphoto / TuelekZa
The NBA All-Star Game kicks off in Salt Lake City, Utah soon and a very unfortunate t-shirt design is going viral ahead of the event. It appears to be a fanmade t-shirt that has included shorthand for Salt Lake City, Utah to just ‘SL, UT’ and NBA fans immediately ran with jokes after seeing it.
I say this is probably a fanmade t-shirt because it’s hard to imagine the NBA would approve this design without someone catching the glaring mistake at some point. And honestly, it’s not even 100% clear that this is a t-shirt.
UPDATE: A rep has confirmed this is a fan-made shirt
A representative from the NBA has clarified that it is 100% a fanmade t-shirt and not the official logo. You can find the official NBA All-Star Game logo right here.
I’m just assuming it’s a tee because you can see folds of the fabric in the top right of the picture. But this could also be a hoodie, backpack, shorts, etc. Either way, the design is getting roasted as it quickly goes viral:
Oh no pic.twitter.com/N3P176CCrI
— Jess Reinhardt (@JRein44) February 10, 2023
The jokes write themselves with obviously offensive design. Nevertheless, people started coming up with quick replies almost immediately:
Here from the home of the Utah Jizz
— Brandon Warne (@Brandon_Warne) February 10, 2023
A lot of people are assuming this was unintentional. I happen to think this was an intentional design and one that a certain type of fan is going to spend a lot of money on.
Literally just put a C after the SL. It’s not that hard. Why do designers still run into the problems of unintentional sexual innuendos.
— Big 4horry (@B4horry) February 10, 2023
I forgot about how incredible these Charlotte jerseys are…
Same people who worked on this jersey I bet pic.twitter.com/CTmrUFHXqV
— Stripe Sports (@_CharityStripe_) February 10, 2023
This person is onto something:
I feel like this was purposeful. No graphic designer is going to make this mistake
— OBT (@netminder97) February 10, 2023
Raymond Holt from Brooklyn Nine-Nine knows the drill:
— no purpose flour🌻🐈 (@cynicalredhead) February 10, 2023
This Northern Territories design from Australia is legendary:
So good, just as good as this one in Australia pic.twitter.com/Jlwkla1gYS
— The Officiel Adjunct Poltroon (@AdjunctPoltroon) February 10, 2023
Can’t wait for the Skills Competition
— Kev Rich (@kevantrich) February 10, 2023
What do you all think, was this design intentional? I scrolled through the NBA store’s All-Star section and sorted by t-shirts. It’s not there. So this has to be fan-made and intentional, right?