Absurd as the question above sounds, league owners are thinking about it. The idea has been presented to the group at an official meeting held earlier this month, and it is being considered.

Think about that. Really? Ads on the jerseys?

Certainly it won’t be as obvious as the obviously-altered picture above, right?

Not exactly.

There were three different models proposed to the owners. One featured the logo in place of the team name, like the jersey in the photo for this post.  Another had a company logo right beneath a player’s number on the jersey. The last had a company logo on the strap of the jersey.

I don’t like any of these choices at all, but if I had to choose one, it would be the third option simply because it is the least intrusive. Why does the league even consider such an idea in the first place?

It’s not like they don’t have enough sponsors. Furthermore, those sponsors get plenty of advertising space on television broadcasts, in arenas, and everywhere else in the league. What does the league gain from featuring ads on jerseys? Of course, it gains more green, but at what cost?

Adam Silver, deputy commissioner, had the following to say about the potential move.

“”If we add sponsor logos to jerseys, we recognize that some of our fans will think we’ve lost our minds. But the NBA is a global business and logos on jerseys are well-established in other sports and commonplace outside the U.S.”

The NBA is global, absolutely. When players watch the game, do we want them more interested in and able to identify the league and its teams and players, or the sponsors of the league?

If the folks in the NBA are smart, they will realize that they lose the opportunity to expand their brand by promoting others in such a way.

Say no to the ads.

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