Dean Smith, Michael Jordan and UNC: How the diamond pattern became the centerpiece of uniforms

Michael Jordan once expressed his love for the diamond pattern. It was inevitable that the North Carolina Tar Heels would wear this diamond pattern on the basketball court.Far from being Jordan’s personal decision, this was the uniform design thinking of a college icon who became one of the greatest players in basketball history more than 30 years ago – many say this The greatest – played a factor.

If anything, it might help change the perspective of a man considered by some to be more of a Tar Heel than Jordan — which was the perspective of eventual Hall of Fame coach Dean Smith. The legendary coach’s voice carries the most weight when discussions among Hall of Famers in their respective fields lead to planned changes to the look of one of college basketball’s top programs.

Fans of the past can’t miss the distinctive Carolina blue uniforms of the time, and fans today recognize the diamond pattern featured on many of the university’s athletic uniforms. They performed in both the men’s and women’s NCAA tournaments. The men’s team defeated Michigan State over the weekend to advance to the Sweet 16. The women’s team lost to undefeated top-seeded South Carolina in Sunday’s second round.

Smith and Jordan endorsed North Carolina’s new basketball uniforms in the early 1990s, with fashion designer and Tar Heel alumnus Alexander Julian giving the program a look unlike any other in the country. During the 1991-92 season, after conversations with Smith, Jordan and Julien, the diamond pattern on the sides of basketball uniforms first appeared on the Tar Heels. The change was Smith’s idea from the beginning, as he wanted to transition the shorts from a black heel on the foot to a more fashionable design.

It all started with a call to Julian in the spring of 1990 from Smith, who died in 2015, asking about changing the look.

“Coach Smith controls everything about the jersey,” said Steve Kirschner, director of communications for men’s basketball and assistant director in 1991. “

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Julian still remembers Smith calling him to alter the jersey. Smith was so impressed with Julien’s work with the Charlotte Hornets that he designed the iconic jerseys for the team’s 1988 NBA debut.

Julian said he made the uniforms and all the work for the school for free. He said it was an honor to design for Smith and his alma mater.

This change is collaborative. Julien said Smith was genuinely interested in the input and gave voting rights to several people associated with the team, “including the uniform manager in the locker room.”

“In the design world, voting without any guidance is a recipe for disaster,” Julian said, “so I tried to figure out what I could do to polarize opinion.”

Julian then suggested Smith bring Jordan into the conversation. At the time, Jordan was one of the greatest stars in the NBA (not quite the icon he is today), and his brand with Nike was growing. Jordan could not be reached for comment about his role in the jersey selection.

Julian wanted to make sure the blue was best suited for television, as Carolina Blue sometimes looked gray on television screens using lower definition technology at the time. As a result, the uniform’s color changed slightly, taking on a darker sky blue appearance.

Kirshner said Smith was flexible in allowing Julian to modify the colors so the school would look right on television. Julian sent samples to Jordan in Chicago and Smith in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and the three discussed the issues over the phone.

“Michael asked me what I liked best. I said, ‘I like them all, otherwise I wouldn’t submit them,'” Julian said. “But I think the diamond-patterned leg is the best. I think it’s going to go anywhere. It’s unlike anyone else in college sports, so it’s different. It’s a quick visual that you It’s clear who this team is.”

Julian said Jordan voted for the diamond pattern as his favorite design. However, Kershner acknowledged that while Smith may want to get everyone’s input, influencing the final decision’s ideas is extremely difficult.

“Some votes are more important than others,” Kirchner said. “Coach Smith’s vote counts the most, but Michael Jordan had just won his first championship in 1991 and established himself as a great player in the NBA. So, yes, you get some feedback from Michael, but it’s It’s not like we’re doing a team vote in the locker room and asking the players what they want.”

Eventually, the diamond pattern became a key part of the school’s deal with Nike. Before the uniform change, North Carolina was a Converse basketball school. At the time, the school was not negotiating for the project. Instead, shoe companies make deals with coaches, who then agree to provide equipment for their schools.

Former North Carolina athletic director Dick Baddour was an assistant under John Swofford when the diamond pattern became part of the uniforms. Julien’s designs eventually became part of a Nike transfer. The move allows North Carolina’s basketball branding and diamond pattern to be displayed on a larger scale, while also providing shoes and equipment for the remaining sports.

“The most unique part to me is the North Carolina family coming together in a very different way to showcase Carolina basketball and help Carolina basketball build its brand within the Nike framework,” Bar said Durr said. “They want to sell the jersey, and they want it to look like a Nike product. “

Since then, the side design, combined with the school’s colors, has helped NC State’s jerseys gain popularity with the public and become recognized in pop culture. It appears in commercials, TV shows and billboards. It’s even appeared in Jay-Z’s music video.

The Tar Heels have one of the most distinctive uniforms in college basketball, but Carolina Blue might have turned out much differently if a player-only vote had been conducted in the early ’90s.

“We tried to wear black,” said longtime NBA forward George Lynch, a standout on the 1991-92 team. “They won’t do black for us.”

Lynch said at the time that he was not familiar with Julian or the design process. The team knew there would be new uniforms, but players weren’t sure what they would look like. New uniforms could mean something as simple as a subtle change in letters or numbers.

Lynch and teammate and current North Carolina head coach Hubert Davis ended up modeling the new look before it debuted. Lynch said the players first saw the jerseys when they were given to them by the equipment manager before the season.

“When we saw the diamond pattern on the side, it took it to a new level of being sharper and cleaner,” Lynch said. “Everyone else is wearing a traditional uniform with the school logo on the side of the shorts. When we switch it up and go down the side of the jersey and down the side of the shorts, it separates us from the rest of the ACC.”

Rick Brewer is the sports information director emeritus at North Carolina State. He first worked for the North Carolina Sports Information Department in 1968 and retired in 2000. He was present when Julian planned the design, and Smith ultimately approved the design.

Argyle is an outstanding product for Brewer.

“Personally, I’ve always thought we had the best-looking uniforms in all of sports,” he said. “The tone of Carolina Blue looks great on anything and anywhere. Adding the diamond pattern makes the uniforms even more eye-catching. “It’s completely different than what I’ve seen elsewhere. “

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The diamond pattern has been incorporated into athletics throughout North Carolina, not just men’s basketball. In 2015, shortly after Smith’s death, the athletic program made the pattern a minor part of all uniforms at the school. It is part of the collar of football team helmets and jerseys. The Tar Heels’ official athletic website showcases Julian’s creation with a toggle option.

Julian, 76, a member of the Fashion Hall of Fame, learned more than 30 years ago what a daunting undertaking it was. Julian, a Chapel Hill native, looked up to Smith, who was a friend of his father, also an NC State alumnus. The V-neck look on the Hornets’ jerseys is a nod to Smith and North Carolina’s jerseys.

In Julian’s opinion, this is a big problem.

“I felt like God was calling, asking for a new halo for the Archangels,” Julian recalled. “It meant a lot to me. “I realized if I (messed) this up, I would never be able to go home. “

Julian was already an accomplished designer before working with Smith. He was the first American designer to create his own exclusive fabrics, and his textile designs are part of the Smithsonian’s permanent collection. In 1988, he used teal and purple when designing the expansion Hornets’ uniforms, which quickly became popular beyond North Carolina. The jersey has unique details; the stripes are embroidered and the shorts are pleated.

Julian was originally willing to design the jerseys for free with the stipulation that he would receive 5% of sales, but then-Hornets owner George Shinn told Julian that due to NBA rules, he would not be able to receive income. That’s how Julian came up with a different commitment, an unorthodox service agreement.

“Carolina BBQ,” Julian said. “I made him an offer he couldn’t refuse: five pounds of Carolina barbecue a month, FedEx delivered to my place in Connecticut, so you’ve got a deal.”

What Julian didn’t know was how popular the jersey would become. A different agreement may be reached.

“I had no idea they were going to sell over $200 million worth of copies of my uniform,” Julian said. “At 5 percent, that’s $10 million. So, let me sum it up like this: George got rich and I got fat.”

While discussing the Tar Heels, the 2015 decision to incorporate the diamond pattern into the designs of other teams on campus proved Julian was right in the ’90s. But why Argyll?

Julian said you can always find argyle patterns for men and women in any fashion magazine. It has always been a part of the wardrobe.

“It’s a timeless pattern,” he said. “It’s always been a fashion goal of mine to design clothes that last a long time. That’s how you get the most wear and tear. That way you can afford better things because they last longer and are more useful.”

Lifelong Tar Heel fans now see Julian’s prints everywhere in Chapel Hill as it becomes synonymous with the university. Add in his alumnus status and the fact that four of his seven children attended NC State, and Julian has good reason to love his school.

Julian’s influence on school fashion was not limited to sports. His designs are worn by North Carolina administrators and coaches, including Davis and the former coach of the Tar Heels.

“I don’t know how this could be more true,” Julian said. “Roy Williams won three national championships wearing my clothes, some of which are now in the Basketball Museum in Chapel Hill.”

Julian’s fashion sense in the sports world spilled over into designing racing suits for Michael Andretti. He also designed uniforms and stadium seating for the Charlotte Cavaliers Triple-A baseball team. Julian said the color of the stadium seats made it “the biggest jersey in the world.”

Julian recently returned to designing college basketball game jerseys. High Point University in High Point, North Carolina, debuts its 2022-23 men’s and women’s basketball uniforms designed by Julian.

There is no diamond pattern in this design. Instead, Julian used High Point’s black panther mascot as a graphic.

“I made an exaggerated houndstooth, doubled in size, which we named ‘Panther Teeth.’ The design is trademarked,” says Julian. “That’s another truism that I relate to with textile design, and it really works.”

Perhaps in more than 30 years, High Point’s uniforms will have a reputation similar to North Carolina’s diamond-patterned uniforms. If the Tar Heels have their way, college basketball fans will see a lot more of the diamond pattern during March Madness.

(Above: M. Anthony Nesmith/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images; Courtesy of Alexander Julian)