Jerseys are so important to any sport. Some people, especially children simply like a team because of their colors and jersey. I know I was that way.
Growing up as a kid it was hard to ignore the game God blessed Michael Jordan with and the dominating success of the Chicago Bulls.
I also was instantly attracted to their team colors. I like any team that has a lot of black in their color scheme.
For me, the black, red, and white were something that represented fear and intimidation upon others.
What’s your favorite NBA jersey? What are the classic NBA jerseys? Well, everyone has their own style or way of liking things, so you cannot reach a top ten list that everyone will agree on.
Still, you can agree on some jerseys that simply just do not have proper colors that should ever belong together on a jersey (see when Pistol Pete played for the Hawks).
Here’s a list of some of our favorite classic NBA jerseys…
The late 1980’s Kings had an interesting concept. Why not put the name of the back below the number? The idea stuck and the Kings wore jerseys that appeared upside down. Perhaps it didn’t work, as the Kings were horrible in the late 80’s. Or perhaps it did? After all, everyone forgot about the names and only saw the numbers on the back right?
I’m happy and sad to say that my favorite team, the Denver Nuggets, makes this list with contradicting takes on the jersey. The late 80’s Nuggets jersey featured five different colors. No that’s not a typo.
The five colors contributed to the rainbow effect that can best be compared to the Houston Astros old jerseys. On the bright side, they stood out. On the negative side, gay right activists in San Francisco wore this jersey for all the wrong reasons.
The San Fran Warriors later became known as the Golden State Warriors. But in the 1960’s, Rick Berry and other teammates wore this interesting golden jersey. Topping it off was a splendid round logo of the Golden Gate Bridge.
The Cleveland Cavaliers had an interesting take when they designed their mid-70’s attire. The golden yellow with red and white masking tape borders was truly original and a much underrated throwback jersey.
You may wonder why the Lakers adopted the mascot, when California (Los Angeles to be specific) severely lacks lakes? Well that’s because the Lakers originated in Minneapolis. And when they were there, the powder blue jersey was a big hit with the famous “M.P.L.S.” lettering on the front.
The 1970’s continue to be a repeat decade for classic NBA jerseys. How about the mid-70’s Washington Bullets? Who could forget the red and white stripes on the top, along with a solid blue bottom section? Not only that but lettering that included two hands reaching for a rebound on the front posing as the two L’s in Bullets.
The now defunct Seattle Super Sonics had an original color scheme to go along with their original nickname. While I’m still not sure what a Super Sonic really is, I will say I loved the mass hysteria of green that surrounded the Super Sonic jersey. The gold and white was a nice addition, especially with the stripe going through “Seattle.”
The New York Knicks somewhat classic jerseys, while nearly the same today, are a true original of the NBA.
The famed Knicks may no longer be any good, but back in the day they were one of the more popular and well liked franchises in the NBA. The blue, orange, and white color scheme on the classic NBA jersey definitely had something to do with it.