PORTLAND ”“ Getting a basketball franchise up off the hardwood is harder than one might think.

There are many little details that have to be dealt with before the first round ball can be inflated, or the first ticket can be torn.

The Maine Red Claws took care of two of those tasks on Thursday.

The Red Claws, one of two new expansion teams in the 17-team NBA Development League ”“ a.k.a “the D-League” ”“ unveiled their uniforms in a press event held at Bell Buoy Park on the Portland waterfront.

The team also released the slate of games for their inaugural season in which those uniforms will be worn.

“We are thrilled with how our jerseys came together,” said Red Claws Chairman Bill Ryan, Jr.. “They are the combination of classic styling with Maine influences that we envisioned. With “Maine” emblazoned across the front of our road jerseys, fans in every city we play in will know exactly where we are from and who we represent ”“ the Red Claws are Maine’s team, and we want everyone to know that. The NBA and adidas took what we wanted to say and turned it into exactly the jersey we were looking for.”

The uniforms, predominantly white at home, red on the road, aren’t ready for sale in the team’s gift shop just yet. But they will be shortly, according to Jon Jennings, the Red  Claws’ President and General Manager.

“One of the issues with being a new team,” he said, “is that Adidas is still getting to know our logos. So it takes a little bit longer the first time before we can do anything. Our hats will be in in about three weeks. But that’s been a two-month venture.”

Meanwhile, the Claws have a little over three months to prepare for the start of the season, which will begin with a two-day road trip through the Dakotas.

Their first-ever tip off will come Nov. 27 at Sioux Falls against the SkyForce. The next night, the Claws will be in Bismarck, N.D. to meet the Dakota Wizards.

The Red Claws will make their home debut at the renovated Portland Expo on Dec. 4 against the Springfield Armor, the D-League’s other new team.

That will be the first of 24 home games, all but three of which will be held on weekends.

“I think it’s an awesome schedule,” Jennings said. “We feel that with everything we’re doing, plus the quality of the product we’re going to put out there, we’re going to come close if not sell out every game.”

As for exactly which players those crowds will be coming to cheer for, the Claws’ roster will begin to take shape after next month’s expansion draft.

The Claws will also be able to gain territorial rights to players of local signifance.

Additional players will come from the Boston Celtics and Charlotte Bobcats, Maine’s two NBA parent clubs.

“This is the best basketball, outside of the NBA,” said Jennings, a former Celtics’ assistant coach. “And so you have high quality talent coming in.”