5 greatest NBA jerseys of all time
Iconic NBA jerseys will never be forgotten by basketball fans who appreciate history. Today, with the many 'City Editions' NBA jerseys for every franchise, some of the old colors have returned to the NBA picture.
Some NBA jerseys became beloved pieces in league history because the teams wearing them were also legendary. In this article, we will review the five greatest NBA jerseys in league history.
5 greatest jerseys in NBA history
Not only will we list five NBA jerseys that will stay in our minds for years to come, but we will also add some context to the choice. Moreover, we will take a single jersey instead of a full uniform set.
Without further ado, let us begin.
#5 Chicago Bull's black road jersey
The Chicago Bulls' black jersey with pinstripes might be the most beautiful jersey of the 1990s. It definitely is among the better-looking jerseys in the history of the NBA.
This jersey will also be remembered because the Bulls wore it during their historic 72-10 season back in the 1995-96 NBA campaign. Not many NBA jerseys had more than 70 wins in a single season.
The black jerseys with red pinstripes were shockingly only worn in that season. They got replaced by a plain black jersey in the following years.
In an interesting fact, the Bulls wore the black jersey with red pinstripes in 12 regular-season games in the 1995-96 season, and they only had an 8-4 record.
Back then, even Michael Jordan went on to say that if he could make a change, the team would not wear black jerseys due to superstitions.
Still, the black jersey with red pinstripes will remain an iconic piece among NBA jerseys. Wearing that uniform with white socks and white shoes also made it look amazing.
Beyond the record, that jersey will live on because the 1995-96 NBA season was the Bulls' greatest campaign.
#4 Philadelphia 76ers' Dazzle black jersey
There was, and still is, something special about the Philadelphia 76ers' black jersey from the 2000s.
The Dazzle Jerseys of the Philadelphia 76ers were stunning.
For starters, some of Allen Iverson's most iconic pictures in his NBA career were shot with that jersey on. His 48 points in the first game of the 2001 NBA Finals are part of the biggest NBA stories ever.
The LA Lakers arrived in the 2001 NBA Finals with an 11-0 record in the postseason, but Iverson did not care. Iverson and the black Dazzle jersey gave those Lakers their only loss of the postseason and prevented them from going 15-0 in the NBA Playoffs with a legendary performance.
After making the shot to ice the game, Iverson stepped over his defender, Tyronn Lue, while capturing the moment. It was an iconic moment, and that black design soon entered the room of the most amazing NBA jerseys ever.
#3 Chicago Bulls' classic road jersey
The greatest NBA jerseys of all time have to include a design seen in many iconic photos of the league's history.
Michael Jordan's final shot with the legendary 1990s Chicago Bulls was made while wearing this jersey in game six of the 1998 NBA Finals.
By itself, that moment could establish this red jersey as one of the most iconic NBA jerseys ever.
Moreover, the jersey was seen while the Bulls sealed three of their six NBA championships. This fact further enhances the jersey's visibility and impact.
Even after Michael Jordan's first retirement in 1993, when he came back and wore that red jersey with an unfamiliar number 45 on the back, people could still relate to what their eyes were seeing. It was still a familiar sight.
#2 Boston Celtics' historic road jersey
Any kid who starts watching NBA basketball and possibly reads about its history is likely to find a couple of NBA jerseys that look familiar. Yes, if you go through the history of the NBA and look back to the 1950s or 1960s, there is a jersey that looks almost exactly the way it looks today.
One of the most iconic NBA jerseys of all time is the Boston Celtics' classic green design. Of course, being one of the two franchises with the most NBA titles helps the jersey receive lots of recognition. Still, the uniform itself is almost as iconic as anything related to the Celtics.
Back in Bill Russell's era, when the Celtics won their first 11 NBA championships, the road jersey sometimes read 'Boston' in the chest in white. It was often replaced by 'Celtics', and the essence remained. Boston won six more championships, and both jerseys became equally iconic.
If it was not for a certain franchise, this would be the best out of all the NBA jerseys.
Seeing the green jersey with white lines on the shoulders and collar as well as 'Boston' or 'Celtics' at the front is watching pure history among NBA jerseys.
#1 LA Lakers' classic golden jersey
The purple and gold have ruled the NBA in every decade since the 1970s. NBA jerseys are defined by the LA Lakers' classic golden design.
The LA Lakers' golden jersey is still lovely today, but its most iconic presentation was worn between 1978 and 1999. A simplistic yet gorgeous design with purple numbers and purple 'Lakers' text on a white background was all the LA Lakers needed to have the most supreme NBA jerseys ever.
Moreover, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and their Showtime dynasty helped. Their run made the jersey look familiar to every NBA fan, whether they were rivals or passionate Lakers followers.
Any ranking of the best NBA jerseys in history needs the purple and gold at the top.
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