Why did the Mavericks collaborate with a musician on their new City Edition uniforms?

The Dallas Mavericks unveiled their 2023 City Edition jerseys, called the Trinity River Blues collection, which was done in collaboration with Fort Worth native Leon Bridges and pays homage to the rich musical history of North Texas.

Bridges is a Grammy Award-winning artist whose lyrics adorn the uniforms which also feature the statement “For All of Dallas Fort Worth.” The uniform was made to honor the musical tradition of Blues in the Metroplex.

A video released shows Bridges performing with Mavs stars Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving in the background and also shows the Fort Worth Stockyards.

The video also highlights Blind Lemon Jefferson, who is known as the father of Texas blues, and rose to popularity in the 1920s due to his distinctive guitar playing.

The jersey is dark black to hearken to the moodiness of the blues, a genre pioneered by African Americans focusing on lost loves and the woes of society.

The front of the jerseys shows the team’s name with embellishments at the beginning and end of the word.

The Mavs will wear their Trinity River Blues uniforms for the first time on Friday at 7:30 p.m. against the Los Angeles Clippers.