Update, October 12: Confirmed
The leak was right. On October 12 the Nuggets, Spurs, Pacers and Nets all released their 2026-27 Classic Edition uniforms and new classic courts for the ABA-NBA 50th anniversary. Denver calls its orange set Throwback Nights (seven home games), San Antonio wears its silver Classic Edition on nine Classic Nights, Indiana's blue uniform is Classic Threads with a new Classic Court, and Brooklyn has a white Classic Edition. We graded all four jerseys and courts and listed every date in NBA Classic Edition Jerseys 2026-27 Ranked.
The 2026-27 NBA Hardwood Classics just leaked, and the Denver Nuggets are going orange. Retail versions of a Denver Nuggets ABA jersey and a San Antonio Spurs ABA jersey surfaced on Instagram this week: an orange DENVER throwback from the franchise's Denver Rockets years, and a silver SPURS throwback from the club's first ABA seasons in San Antonio.
When we published this on September 30, neither team nor the NBA had shown these uniforms. Both are now official (see the update above). Below is where the leak came from, why we thought it was real, what the originals looked like, and when Denver and San Antonio wear them.
Where the Leak Came From
The images were posted on September 28 by the Instagram account @allinliveee ("ALL IN LIVE", about 17,000 followers), which posts jersey release news. The post is a three-image carousel captioned as the 2026-27 Nike Spurs "Victor Wembanyama" and Nuggets "Nikola Jokic" Classic Edition Swingman jerseys: a Wembanyama No. 1 in silver and a Jokic No. 15 in orange, front and back.
Leaked 2026-27 Classic Edition Swingman jerseys, via @allinliveee on Instagram. Not confirmed by the teams or the NBA.
Is the Nuggets and Spurs ABA Jersey Leak Real?
We think it probably is, for four reasons:
- They are retail product, not renders. These are photos of finished Nike Swingman jerseys with player names, Nike jock tags and hang tags attached. Mockups and fan concepts do not come with tags.
- The four-team ABA plan was reported in February. On February 21, ProLine Mockups reported on X that the Nets, Nuggets, Pacers and Spurs would all get ABA throwback Classic Edition uniforms for 2026-27. This leak matches that list.
- The Pacers piece leaked in August. Royal blue Pacers Classic shorts, reportedly in an early 1970s ABA road style, turned up on Instagram in August.
- One of the four is already official. The Brooklyn Nets have tagged a jersey for every game on their own schedule page, and 16 of their 80 games are Classic Edition, including an ABA Night on November 18. The full breakdown is in our Nets uniform schedule.
What it does not prove: the exact dates, whether the on-court version differs from the retail Swingman in small details, and the official name each team gives the set. Nike and the NBA call these Classic Edition; "Hardwood Classics" is the older league brand that fans still use for them.
Why Four Former ABA Teams Are Going Retro in 2026-27
On June 17, 1976, the ABA and NBA agreed to merge, and four ABA clubs came over: the Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers, New York Nets and San Antonio Spurs. The Kentucky Colonels and the Spirits of St. Louis were folded instead. The 2026-27 season is the 50th anniversary of that merger, and it is also season 60 for all four franchises, which all date back to the ABA's first season in 1967-68.
That is the reported reason for the set: the four clubs that survived the ABA, dressed as their ABA selves, in the same season.
The 2026-27 ABA Classic Edition Set
We have not seen any other team's 2026-27 Classic Edition leak. Outside the four ABA clubs, the throwbacks we know about this season are ones teams already own, like the Sixers' black Iverson-era Classic.
The Leaked Nuggets ABA Jersey: The Denver Rockets in Orange
The leaked Nuggets jersey is bright orange with DENVER arched across the chest in black block letters outlined in white, black numbers outlined in white, and black and white trim around the collar and arm holes. The back carries the name and number in the same black and white.
The history. The franchise was a charter member of the ABA in 1967. It was going to be the Denver Larks, but owner Bill Ringsby renamed the club the Denver Rockets before it played a game, after his Ringsby Rocket trucking company. The team's black, orange and white came straight off those trucks, and the Rockets wore them from 1967-68 through 1970-71 before switching to blue and gold. The Rockets name had to go when the club prepared for the NBA, which already had a team in Houston, and a fan contest produced Nuggets in 1974, after Denver's old NBL club.
The orange era is the Spencer Haywood era. Haywood came out of the University of Detroit and in 1969-70, his only ABA season, won MVP and Rookie of the Year while averaging 30 points and 19.5 rebounds. Denver then reached the final ABA Finals in 1976, losing to Julius Erving's New York Nets in six games, which makes a Nuggets vs Nets ABA night this season a genuine rematch.
Why it matters for the closet. Denver's current set is white, midnight navy, the royal Statement and the white Rainbow Skyline City Edition. Orange appears nowhere in that closet, so this would be the only jersey in the closet that looks nothing like the rest of it. That is exactly what a throwback should do.
Official grade: B for the jersey, A- for the ABA court. See the ranking
The Leaked Spurs ABA Jersey: San Antonio's First Silver
The leaked Spurs jersey is silver with the 1970s SPURS wordmark across the chest, the one with a cowboy spur standing in for the U, in black outlined in white, with black numbers and black and white trim.
The history. The Spurs began as the Dallas Chaparrals in 1967, in red, white and blue. A San Antonio group led by Angelo Drossos took over the club in 1973, briefly named it the Gunslingers, and then settled on Spurs before a game was played. The new name came with black, silver and white, starting in 1973-74, and the Spurs have kept those colors ever since. This jersey is the look from those first San Antonio seasons, the George Gervin years, before the club entered the NBA in 1976.
San Antonio's most recent Classic Edition was a black 1970s-inspired uniform for the franchise's 50th season in San Antonio in 2022-23. The 2026-27 version is the silver one.
Why it matters for the closet. San Antonio already wears a silver San Antonio Statement, so an ABA silver would put two silver alternates in one closet. We flagged that in our closet ranking before the leak, and the leak confirms it. The saving grace is the wordmark, which is one of the best in basketball.
Official grade: B for the jersey, A+ for the court. See the ranking
When Will the Nuggets and Spurs Wear the ABA Jerseys?
Now announced (October 12). The Nuggets wear their Throwback Nights jersey for seven home games: December 27 vs Indiana, January 21 vs Washington, February 4 vs Dallas, February 11 vs Chicago, March 1 vs Brooklyn, March 3 vs San Antonio and April 8 vs the Clippers. The Spurs wear their Classic Edition for nine Classic Nights: November 4 vs Dallas, December 18 vs Chicago, December 23 at Brooklyn, January 6 vs Indiana, February 28 vs Denver, March 3 at Denver, March 18 vs Brooklyn, March 25 at Indiana and April 9 vs Denver.
When we first wrote this, the best clue was Brooklyn's schedule, and the ABA vs ABA games we flagged held up. Here is how they look now:
ABA vs ABA Games to Watch
The March 1 game is still the one we would circle: the orange Nuggets Throwback Nights jersey against the white Nets Classic Edition, the ABA Finals of 1976 on a 2027 floor. Two nights later, on March 3, the Spurs visit Denver with both teams in their throwbacks.
Every date is in our Classic Edition ranking and in the Nuggets uniform schedule and the Spurs uniform schedule.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are the Nuggets getting an ABA throwback jersey in 2026-27?
Yes. The Nuggets released it on October 12, 2026 as their Throwback Nights Classic Edition jersey: orange with an arched DENVER and the original Rockets logo on the shorts, based on the Denver Rockets years. It first leaked on Instagram on September 28.
What are the NBA Hardwood Classics for 2026-27?
The 2026-27 set is four ABA throwbacks for the four clubs that joined the NBA in the 1976 merger: the Nuggets, Pacers, Nets and Spurs, released October 12 with new classic courts. It marks the 50th anniversary of the merger. Nike's current name for these uniforms is Classic Edition.
What does the Spurs ABA jersey look like?
It is silver with the original arched SPURS wordmark, where a spur forms the U, black numbers, and the black diamond around the spur logo on the shorts. The Spurs say it recreates the original home uniform worn at HemisFair Arena after the 1973 move to San Antonio.
Why did the Denver Nuggets wear orange?
As the Denver Rockets, the club took its black, orange and white from owner Bill Ringsby's Ringsby Rocket trucking company. Denver wore those colors from 1967-68 through 1970-71 and became the Nuggets in 1974.
When will the Nuggets and Spurs wear their Classic Edition jerseys?
The Nuggets wear theirs seven times at home, starting December 27 vs Indiana. The Spurs wear theirs nine times, starting November 4 vs Dallas. Every date is in our Classic Edition ranking.
Was the leak real?
Yes. The Nuggets and Spurs confirmed both uniforms on October 12, 2026, matching the leaked retail jerseys.
The Bottom Line
The leaked 2026-27 Hardwood Classics put Denver back in Rockets orange and give San Antonio its original ABA silver back, for the 50th anniversary of the merger that brought both teams into the NBA. The leak was confirmed on October 12, the dates are out, and the week of February 28 to March 3 is still the one to watch. We graded both, and the Pacers and Nets sets too, in our Classic Edition ranking.
ColorWay Sports is an independent design site and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the National Basketball Association or any of its teams. Leaked images remain on the original Instagram post and are not hosted by ColorWay Sports.
