While the jokes surrounding the Milwaukee Bucks’ “Cream City” jerseys have been evident in media since their release in the 2019 season, the real reason they were banned might surprise you.
Bucks’ Cream City Jerseys Interfered With Ad Spaces
The NBA’s annual releasing of the “City Edition” jerseys for every team has been a fun, and profitable expedition. Each team receives a new jersey highlighting their city, which creates a new revenue for the league as fans purchase them. Some of the more notable include the Phoenix Suns’ “The Valley” jerseys, the Lakers’ “LakeShow” jerseys, and maybe most notably, the 2017-18 release of the Milwaukee Bucks’ “Cream City” jerseys.
“Cream City” was an instant hit with fans, and the Bucks’ kept them in the jersey rotation in the following years. Following the NBA return from the COVID pause in 2020 though, the Bucks and league ran into an issue. With every team playing on a “neutral” court in Orlando, the league allowed them to display their home court sponsors’ advertisements on the court.
Because of the cream color of the Bucks’ “Cream City” jerseys, the digitally produced ads became distorted when a player would pass over or stand on where the ad was being displayed. Instead of improving the technology, the league decided to ban the “Cream City” jerseys, breaking the hearts of Milwaukee fans everywhere.
The Milwaukee Bucks haven't worn their cream-colored jerseys in years. The reason? The NBA banned them because they interfered with digital ads on TV broadcasts. pic.twitter.com/gmFtVJjCNh
— Joe Pompliano (@JoePompliano) March 6, 2025
The Bucks were not the only ones harmed by this decision though. While the “Cream City” jerseys were the cause of the ban, the league had to ban all cream colored jerseys because of a technological bug.
What did we miss as NBA fans because of this ban? Lakers’ “Cream Show” jerseys? The Suns’ “Cream Valley?!” The Bucks’ City Edition jerseys for this year is an all blue jersey, featuring block letters and two stripes separating the name and number of the player from the bottom of the jersey. They are undoubtedly a far cry from one of the most popular jerseys in recent memory.
According to the Milwaukee Bucks’ Reddit, Bucks CMO Dustin Godsey confirmed that the tech issue that caused the ban has been fixed, and the ban on the cream colored jerseys has been lifted. The post was met with celebratory comments, and it seems like the love for the “Cream City” jerseys hasn’t faded in the time that they’ve been banned. If the rumors are true and the Cream City jerseys make a return, will you be a buyer?