Ever since the major energy provider of Metro Manila has had a commercial basketball team – and this stretches back to the early 1970s – the predominant color of Meralco dark uniforms has been orange.
However, for this upcoming PBA’s 50th season, it looks like black is the new orange as the Meralco Bolts have decided to change it up. To commemorate both the league’s golden anniversary and the team’s 15th year in the PBA, team management has decided to debut a new black-and-blue colorway.
"We’re actually launching a refreshed look of our Bolts logo, our Meralco Bolts logo," explained Bolts team manager Paolo Trillo in an exclusive interview with The GAME Magazine. "So we wanted to highlight that also by coming out with fresh designs for our jerseys."
"The black is really also a commemorative jersey to celebrate the PBA’s 50th year. The Bolts being on our 15th season, so it’s 15th and 50th. So it is a commemorative jersey for the 50th season. At the same time, we wanted a bold new look for the Bolts. So hopefully, we achieve that with this black set of uniforms."
"The Bolts unveiled a new logo as a symbol to recharge, reenergize, and recommit to their team identity that is built on hardwork, togetherness, fighting spirit, sportsmanship, and the pursuit of excellence," the team said in a statement.
The Bolts worked closely with the team’s outfitter LGR to come up with this new set of threads, while Meralco’s marketing group designed the new company logo. Trillo said this will serve as their "dark" uniforms for this season, temporarily replacing the traditional orange.
"We have a white version, and we will have an alternate blue uniform as well," Trillo said, while adding the team will also sport this look when they play in the East Asia Super League (EASL)."
Meanwhile, the players have given the new jerseys an enthusiastic thumbs up.
"I’m feeling excited to wear another colorway of Meralco, black," forward Allein Maliksi said. "It’s our first time to have a black uniform. Before, our uniform was orange, so it’s like an alternate. New logo and new design, so feeling refreshed and excited to use it in the games."
Guard Chris Banchero said he doesn’t mind if several people have commented to him that the new uniforms look a lot like those of reigning NBA champions Oklahoma City Thunder.
"I’m excited for this rebrand," he told The GAME. "It’s going to be fun to see all of us out there in these new colorways. A lot of people have expressed that it kind of looks like an OKC colorway, and I’m okay with that because they won the NBA championship last year.
"Yes, I love it. Being able to have a black jersey is very nice, so it’s exciting that we get a new colorway and play well in it."
Team captain Chris Newsome, welcomed the change, proudly rocking the new threads. "It’s definitely a new look for us. Never have donned black jerseys. You can tell they’re really lightening things up with the blue," he said.
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