Blue Coat is coming to Wilmington, but it’s not the tasty gin, it’s the re-work of the basketball team formerly known as the Delaware 87ers.

The Sixers rolled out the new brand identity for their G-League affiliate this morning, a red, white, and blue concept consistent with the revolutionary themes of the parent club.

From the release:

Inspired by the 1st Delaware Regiment soldiers who were known for their signature blue combat uniforms and legendary courage during the American Revolution, the Delaware Blue Coats are set to take the floor in the 2018-19 NBA G League season.

I like the imagery, starting with the primarily blue and white court design that features pseudo-cursive font on the baselines, same as the print on the Sixers’ white jerseys:

There will be blue and white uniforms, one simple saying “Blue Coats” and the other carrying the horse and rider logo:

Looks pretty cool, right?

Here’s some background on the logo, also from the press release:

Sporting 76ers’ blue with red and white accents, the Blue Coats’ primary logo depicts famed Delawarean and Founding Father Caesar Rodney on his legendary horseback ride of 1776. Rodney, Delaware’s representative in the first Continental Congress, rode 80 miles from Wilmington to Philadelphia in a thunderstorm through the night in order to cast a tie-breaking vote for American Independence.

The Delaware Regiment is widely considered to have been among the finest and most skillful in the Continental Army. Its soldiers became known for their uniquely pristine and distinguished dress – having been outfitted with their iconic blue coats with red trim in a trade deal brokered by Rodney himself.

Rodney, portrayed in the team’s primary logo palming a basketball and seated on a saddle emblazoned with the iconic 76, briefly commanded the Delaware Regiment when its esteemed Colonel John Haslet was lost at the Battle of Princeton. Further solidifying their place in American lore, 100 brave Delaware Regiment soldiers clad in blue coats famously crossed the Delaware River alongside General George Washington in December 1776.

That’s “on brand,” as Sixers’ President Chris Heck would say. He’ll be available before tonight’s game along with Blue Coats’ General Manager Elton Brand.

First impressions – I dig it.

Kind of giving me a Southern Methodist vibe, but with detail:

The Blue Coats’ will play the 2018/2019 season at a new facility in Wilmington, which I wrote about a few months back. 

(Photos courtesy of the 76ers)