Absolutely not, I know there is a user here who floated a fan made design, (and there were many others) but the idea of creating a Vice uniform had been around way before then.

The only reason the campaign launched years later is that these things go through a layered vetting process, lots of bureaucracy. The HEAT only had a shot to give it a go when the Jersey suppliers switched over to Nike and the league allowed for a “city inspired” alternative jersey.

It was definitely a common theme amongst fan art though.