The Miami Heat will build off the best-selling third jersey in NBA history by making this year's City Edition uniform another version of "Miami Vice."
The Heat unveiled their uniform Monday morning. It's a black version of the white and pink jersey that broke sales records last year.
"Miami Vice" was a popular television crime series that ran from 1984 to '90. From the clothes worn by actors Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas to the music, the show became an iconic snapshot of the 1980s.
Heat chief marketing officer Michael McCullough said the team doesn't have to pay any licensing fees to "Miami Vice" because the team isn't using the name, logos or songs.
So many people wanted last year's Vice jerseys that the Heat and Nike couldn't keep up with the demand. Some fans waited months for what sources said were tens of thousands of jerseys ordered from nearly 50 countries.
Team executives promise this year will be different.
"We're ready to meet demand this time," McCullough said. "We have four locations in town for fans to buy, and anyone who orders online will see the traditional delivery time this year."
McCullough wouldn't say how many Vice jerseys were sold last year, but he did say that more Vice jerseys were sold than the City Edition versions of the other 29 teams combined.
McCollough says there will be 14 "Vice Night" games when the team will wear the uniform.
"The entire campaign drives that brand message," McCullough said. "The more people think that your brand is cool, that what you are wearing is cool, that the arena decor is cool, the more people want to be in your building."
The Vice line will launch at midnight Thursday as the team will host a "Midnight Madness" event at American Airlines Arena. On Friday, the Heat will play the Pacers in their Vice uniforms on a yet-to-be-revealed alternate Vice court.
On that day, the team will also give out Vice onesies to any baby born at nearby Baptist Hospital.
The Heat are motivated to sell as many jerseys as they can locally, as they don't have to share revenues from jerseys sold at official team stores and in the arena. Everything else, including online sales, is equally split among the 30 NBA teams.