NBA Uniforms no longer Made in the USA

by Frank Liao | November 25, 2009 at 01:48 pm

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Adidas has decided to outsource all production of its NBA game day jerseys to Thailand. It will be the first time in history that game day NBA jerseys will be manufactured outside of the USA.

The decision to cancel its contracts with US manufacturers will have a significant impact on a sports uniform factory in Perry, NY. Half of the game used jerseys worn by NBA players are manufactured in Perry. They also manufacture all WNBA game used jerseys, along with uniforms worn by teams in the NBA developmental league.

The factory's 100 employees stand to lose their jobs due to the cancellation of their Adidas contract.

Knoll said the Adidas cancellation is to take effect at the end of the year, with the possibility of some small jobs trickling over into 2010. After that, unless the German-owned maker of sports equipment changes its mind, the Perry facility will no longer make the jerseys that stars such as LeBron James and Kobe Bryant wear to work. It also would be the first time in league history that its players have worn jerseys made outside the United States.

Senator Charles Schumer, D-NY, is among those that have asked Adidas to change their plans about outsourcing uniform production to Asia.

"It is flat wrong for Adidas to take away the production of NBA game jerseys from the company and workers here in New York who have done so well for the NBA for so long," Schumer said in a statement issued by his office Tuesday morning. "And to do it in this economic climate adds insult to injury. Basketball is a marquee American sport and the NBA is its premier stage."