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New York Knicks ‘New’ Retro Jerseys Contain Hidden Message (Photo)

Carmelo Anthony, Amare Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler will take the court at Madison Square Garden this season looking different, yet familiar.

The New York Knicks on Thursday unveiled their new home uniform, and many Knicks fans will consider the look an upgrade thanks to one minor adjustment. The thick black stripes on the side of the jerseys and shorts, as well as the black trim, is gone. In fact, all trace of black appears to have been wiped from the ensemble.

The result is a classic look that resembles the traditional blue, orange and white uniforms worn during the Knicks' glory days in the early 1970s. Two greats of that era, Earl Monroe and Walt Frazier, attended Thursday's unveiling ceremony and approved of the retro design.

There are a few differences between the jerseys the Knicks will wear in 2012-13 and the ones they rocked while winning NBA championships in 1970 and 1973. While the black is gone, it has been replaced with light gray that is hardly noticeable except from up close. Also, the Knicks copied the Cavaliers, who have "All for one. One for all." stamped on the inside collars of their jerseys. The Knicks' hidden message reads "Once a Knick, always a Knick."

The Knicks had teased Thursday's unveiling on their Facebook page for the past week.

Check out the jersey at the unveiling, plus the hidden message, in the photos below.

Unveiling photo via KnicksNow; collar photo via Facebook/New York Knicks