The History of NBA Jerseys
Originally, people played basketball in any kind of athletic attire such as track suits and football uniforms. Players began wearing official uniforms in at the start of the 20th century. The attire featured knee-length padded pants, knee-length tights, and shorter pants.
The basketball uniform has evolved over time. Over the years, fashions favored shorter pants. However, Michael Jordan helped popularize the long baggy shorts that players wear today. Also, the hip-hop culture promoted this move away from short and tight pants.
In 2013, the NBA and Adidas, its apparel partner, tried to introduce sleeved jerseys that had NBA and large team logos on the fore. However, it was such a controversial move that even LeBron James ripped off the sleeves during a game in 2015.
Table of Contents
- Types of NBA Jerseys
- Off Court / On Court Fashion
- Old School / Throwback Jerseys
- Top Selling NBA Jerseys
- Short Sleeve NBA Jerseys
- Cheap NBA Jerseys on Sales
- Christmas Jerseys
The Many Types of NBA Jerseys
The following are the types of NBA jerseys you’ll come across during an NBA season and the official and unofficial names for each type.
On-Court NBA jersey. It is also called the game-worn attire. This is the original version of the jersey that players actually wear while playing on the court. They include home and away outfits. It is less likely that fans would buy this jersey because it is very expensive.
Replica NBA jersey. This is the simplest type of a uniform a fan can buy. Its design and appearance is quite similar to that of on-court jerseys. However, it is screen printed with each team’s wordmark, logo, and player name and Replica jerseys are among the inexpensive basketball attires that are made of quality materials.
Swingman NBA jersey This is an upgrade of replica jerseys. It copies on-court jerseys’ features more accurately. Its material is also more performance-based. Swingman jerseys can include modern NBA attire styles as well as Hardwood Classics. They cost more than replica uniforms since their material is of higher quality and their design is more sophisticated.
Authentic NBA jerseys This is a real copy of the NBA jerseys that players wear. An authentic NBA jersey replicates the same fabrics, cuts, trims, and aesthetic details that one would find on on-court apparels. It is more expensive because of the quality material and the detail that go into its creation.
Throwback NBA Jerseys Whether jerseys are referred to as throwbacks, retro, vintage, old school, or Hardwood Classics, these jerseys from back in the day replicate jerseys that teams or players wore in the past — usually at least a decade in the past. They trigger memories of fans concerning their favorite clubs and legends when they were at the top of the game. Throwbacks come in replica, swingman, and authentic versions.
WNBA Jerseys. Just as the name suggests, these uniforms are made specifically for the ladies. They feature more befitting cuts, stretch side panels, and more rounded and larger necks that women fans can wear without any problem. College teams featured sleeves. Women’s jerseys have price and quality ranges that are quite similar to those of replica apparels.
Blood Set. This is an extra batch of jerseys that managers of NBA equipment carry to every game for emergency purposes. In case a player’s garment rips, he would wear one from the blood set. It also comes in handy when a player needs to change because of a cut. This set becomes Game-issued one if the player never uses it.
Game-issued (G.I.) jerseys. These are apparels that a company prepares for players to wear but they never use them. There are many reasons why a player may not use a jersey. A team might never utilize a Blood Set. The company might also produce a jersey for a player who gets injured and sidelined before he ever begins wearing it.
Alternate jerseys. These are also called third jerseys, third kit (if you’re British), or alternate uniforms. NBA teams wear these types instead of their home and away outfits to make playing easier when their competitors’ attire is almost similar to theirs. The NBA also generates revenue from alternate jerseys by selling them to fans. There are several editions of team uniforms, and they go
- Association Editions
- Christmas Jerseys Similar to what the NFL does during Thanksgiving, the NBA has always featured a game or five on X-Mas day. In the most recent years, they decided to also feature special edition Christmas jerseys made specifically for the teams playing on the holiday.
- City Edition Jerseys
- Icon Editions
- Pride jerseys Apart from home and away and alternate jerseys, NBA teams have outfits that speak a lot about their style, history, and heritage. The attire matches these characteristic features of clubs with their performance and innovative ability on courts. Such outfits are called pride jerseys.
NBA All-Star Jerseys As the name suggests these are special uniforms designed for the 24 best NBA players of the season. Every year saw a different all-star design save for a five year period from 1997-2002 when the players wore their regular jerseys during the all-star match.
NBA Jerseys as Expression, Fashion
The evolution of NBA jerseys that has made a wide variety of choices available to fans. There is no better time to be a fan of NBA basketball today – in particular if you’re into the on-court fashion. From shoes to jerseys to headbands, the league’s players (and fans) can express their passion for their players and teams like never before.
Today, people can choose the jersey that best suits their preferences no matter their gender since there are outfits for everybody. Whether it is a replica or authentic apparel, fans only need to be cautious so that they do not break their banks.
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