"If you look good, you feel good. If you feel good, then you play good." A quote once famously said by Atlanta Falcons legend Deion Sanders, and a quote that still has relevance in the modern day. When we examine the Atlanta Hawks' 2024 campaign, we begin to notice a trend that validates this notorious quote.
The Hawks wore four different jerseys this past season-- the Red Icon, White Association, Black Statement, and their City Edition jerseys and their records in each begin to paint the picture of Deion Sanders' vision.
For starters, the Hawks' most frequently worn jersey last season was the White Association jersey, and these jerseys saw them post a 13-18 record in 31 games, resulting in a winning percentage of only .419. The Red Icons didn't perform much better either, posting just a 7-10 record across the 17 games that featured those jerseys. The Black Statement jerseys, meanwhile, showed a slight improvement in performance with a 12-13 record in 25 games, a hair under .500.
But the real kicker for the Atlanta Hawks last season was their City Edition jerseys. While they wore these jerseys the least out of all four, only making an appearance 11 times last season, they posted a staggering 8-3 record wearing them, good for a .718 winning percentage, an almost 30% increase from their overall performance last season!
Will the trend continue with the new City Edition jerseys?
Numbers never lie, but they can mislead. The 30% increase in win percentage is almost certainly an outlier, given the small sample size and disproportionate increase. There is real truth, however, behind the concept Sanders alluded to.
Basketball on all levels is filled with superstitions and small details that can impact a player's performance, so this seemingly coincidental trend may actually hold some validity. Confidence is everything to athletes, and the added morale could be enough to swing close games.
The analytical fan might be more inclined to write this off as just a coincidence, citing opponents, injuries, and other scheduling quirks as the more realistic explanation for this stark contrast. But it is important to remember basketball is a game, not a simulation. Details like jersey selection that may appear juvenile from the outside can subtly change a player's mindset for the better or worse.
Atlanta is bringing back the Peachtree jerseys next year, perhaps the club's most popular City Edition jersey in its history. While City Editions are worn relatively rarely, expect the Hawks to level up their game in the Peachtree jerseys.
Whether these jerseys truly gave Atlanta a competitive edge against its opponents will remain debated, but there's no denying the numbers. Atlanta's city edition jerseys stood out more than any other jersey, and at the very least, this trend could be a little nugget that Atlanta can stash in their back pocket.