Why did the NBA get rid of sleeved jerseys? First induction and more explored

During the 2012-2013 NBA season, the league's apparel partner, Adidas, introduced sleeved jerseys as an alternative look for fans and players. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver explained the reasoning behind this new jersey style in an interview with Michael D. Sykes II of SB Nation.

"It was based entirely on trying something new and making something available to our fans that they would feel more comfortable wearing," Silver said.

So how come the sleeved jerseys have never seen the light of day after the league announced it would be partnering with Nike as its official apparel partner in 2017?

For starters, the players never completely got around to the jerseys as Warriors guard Stephen Curry and former NBA player Dirk Nowitzki voiced their complaints.

Despite the complaints from the league's players, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver continued on in the utilization of the jerseys and even went on to showcase the All-Star sleeved jersey version. It was debuted in the 2014 All-Star Game and has never been used since.

There were also reports that players found the sleeves themselves to be too tight and often caused problems in a player's shooting. LeBron James for instance didn't mince words when it came to the jerseys' discomfort.

"I'm not making excuses," James said after a game against New York Knicks. "I'm not a big fan of the jerseys, not a big fan of them. I've got to figure something out the next time I wear the short-sleeved jersey ... I already don't have much room for error on my jumpers."

New iterations of things often take time for people to be acquainted with or accustomed to. However, in the case of the sleeved jerseys, it's safe to say that the players and even fans never fully got around to them.

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First induction of NBA sleeved jerseys and more

Dating back to the 2012-2013 season, the Golden State Warriors were the first team to debut the new jerseys for everyone to take notice of. It was different from the regular look of a jersey with its overall design being curated by Adidas.

During its first season of introduction, the league made sure that the jerseys would be utilized by the players and noticed by the public. That's why the league decided to have all the teams that played in the 2012-2013 Christmas games don the sleeved jerseys.

From LeBron James to Stephen Curry, the marketing of the newly-integrated jerseys was in full force.

The T-shirt feel of the jerseys sounds like an interesting business move from the league's perspective. However, with the players not being huge fans of the jerseys' tight-fit nature, it eventually led to fans being uninterested in them.

Even Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban aired his complaints regarding the jerseys' design, as per ESPN's Tim MacMahon.

"Hated them," Cuban said. "I just thought it made our guys look more like a high school wrestling team or a college wrestling team."

Compared to the classic feel of regular NBA jerseys, players voicing out their problems with the sleeved jerseys didn't help in the league's marketing plan.

It's why when the league announced its partnership with Nike, the sleeved jerseys were quietly put on retirement.