Atlanta Hawks Interested in Shawn Marion; Here’s Why They Shouldn’t Be by Jay Desai

May 1, 2014; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks t-shirts are shown on seats before the Atlanta Hawks play against the Indiana Pacers game six of the first round of the 2014 NBA Playoffs at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

During the Atlanta Hawks’ playoff series against the Pacers back in April, the team released a new version of their old school “Pac Man” logo, and it was clear a re-branding process was in the works.

The Hawks used the slogan “The PAC is Back” during Game 6 of the first-round series against the top-seeded Indiana Pacers, and even gave out free t-shirts to fans at the game.

The release of the logo and t-shirts had many fans and pundits wondering if new jerseys were on the horizon.

The national perception of the Hawks is slowly starting to change, and with a new jersey that connects the past to the future, things could really start to ramp up in the marketing of the team.

Around a week ago, there were rumblings that Adidas had a lot of changes coming to the NBA jersey. They are moving the NBA logo to the back of the jersey (here come the ads), and are also adding a gold patch on the collar to commemorate franchises that have won titles, along with Christmas Day jerseys that don’t have sleeves (you’re welcome, LeBron).

Then there was a leaked picture that featured Atlanta floating around:

As you can see, the Hawks were listed in the “Pride” category.

The NBA released a few “Pride” jerseys last season, including a Pistons jersey that read “Motor City” across the chest, and a Trail Blazers jersey that read “Rip City” across the chest as well.

The purpose of the alternate jerseys is to pay homage to the heritage of the city, and that means the Hawks could have a new alternate jersey that has ties to the city of Atlanta.

It is easy to assume that those “Pride” jerseys will likely have the “Pac Man” logo on it, utilizing the re-brand in a big way.

The NBA has announced that the “Pride” jerseys will have sleeves this season, so those opposed to the sleeve movement won’t be happy.

Not only is there a new alternate jersey in the works, but there is a report that the Hawks will have new shorts this coming season as well.

From Uni-Watch.com:

Someone apparently made an Adidas retail catalog available for download on one of the SportsLogos.net discussion boards, and several people downloaded it and then began tweeting screen shots from it yesterday afternoon. …… 3. The Hawks’ shorts will have the Pac-Man logo:

As you can see the Hawks will feature the re-designed logo. This — as well as the new alternate jerseys — confirms that Atlanta is indeed looking to incorporate the re-brand into their jerseys.

Also, the Hawks did not feature their new draft picks with their jerseys during their introductory press conference. That could mean absolutely nothing, but it also could mean they are holding off any sort of jersey feature until they officially unveil the new designs.

These reports are only rumors right now, but one thing is for sure: the Hawks are looking for a new look to usher in their new era.

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