In the new issue of Dime Magazine, we took a look at the best – and worst – the game has offered since the turn of the century. From the players to jerseys to sneakers to teams to even trends, you can relive the past 12 years by scooping up the new issue currently on newsstands nationwide. In those pages, you’ll find the following feature…
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NBA jerseys have flair. They’re not particularly flashy, at least most of the time, but there’s a certain emotional kick, a consistent branding that honors the past while forging the future. At Dime, we’ve seen iteration of similar color schemes over the years, and many of us still hold on to our favorite retro gear. We all have our favorite teams and favorite players, but certain jerseys transcend allegiance. They’re a part of basketball history. Here are 10 of the best during Dime‘s era of covering basketball.
RELATED:
–The 10 Best NBA Players Since 2000
–The Top 10 Ballhandlers Since 2000
–The Top 10 Dunkers Since 2000
–The 10 Best Basketball Marketing Campaigns Since 2000
–The 10 Best Basketball Sneakers Since 2000
–The Top 10 NBA Teams Since 2000
–The 10 Worst Basketball Trends Since 2000
–The Next 10 Who Will Shape The Future Generation Of Basketball
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10. INDIANA’s NAVY BLUE PINSTRIPED JERSEY
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Reggie Miller wore many hats during his career: Knicks killer, playoff choker, victim of Tayshaun Prince‘s freakishly long arms. He’s one of, if not the greatest three-point shooter of all time, the third wheel on TNT’s broadcasting team along with Marv Albert and Steve Kerr, as well as an Indiana legend. But we’ll always remember him for those stripes that gave life to his navy blue Indiana Pacers jersey. There was something altogether plain about the solid blue, white and yellow amalgamation, and it just couldn’t match up with those stripes.
For someone so brash, so pesky and, well, so cheap, it’s no surprise his jersey just needed a little something extra. Jeff Van Gundy probably hates the guy at this point, having killed his Knicks squad time and time again, and more importantly, for fathering this flopping trend that is currently overwhelming the NBA. But that’s what Reggie Miller was – different. Just like those stripes. Maybe they don’t belong there, or maybe they do. The jersey would do just fine without them. But when I think of the Indiana Pacers, I think of Reggie Miller, and then I think of those stripes he put on night in and night out.
9. L.A. LAKERS’ GOLD HOME JERSEY
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It’s a relatively simple design, the solid gold shirt and shorts, white numbers with a purple outline, and letters to match. But that’s how the Los Angeles Lakers of the 2000s were, swaggering through each NBA season with a quiet confidence. You don’t hear Kobe talk too much about who’s the best and who’s the worst, or whom he’s better than. He carries himself with a certain bravado that already answers that question. We don’t even have to ask.
That’s what this jersey is – quiet confidence. It’s not exciting or unique or different or eye opening. It’s sleek, simple and utilitarian. And it’s pure gold, which doesn’t divert your attention from the spectacle at hand. Because that’s what the Lakeshow is, a spectacle, and they do a lot of winning along the way. What’s appealing is the little change this Lakers’ home uniform has undertaken – even now, 10 years after Shaq and Kobe tore up the league for three straight seasons, we know the kind of player that puts on Laker gold. Kobe’s number may have changed and his afro may have disappeared, but he’s still donning that singular solid color.
8. GOLDEN STATE’s 2007 JERSEYS
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The 2007 Golden State Warriors were one of our favorite teams of the past decade. Not just because of their up-tempo style or brash personalities, which included Baron Davis and Stephen Jackson, Al Harrington and Matt Barnes, or because they upset the No. 1-seeded Dallas Mavericks. It was a combination of the three, and the complete defiance of the NBA narrative we so subserviently subscribe to. Dirk Nowitzki paid his dues, won 67 regular season games, stayed out of trouble and did everything NBA players are supposed to do. He lived up to this holier-than-thou persona we enforce, and yet he got nothing but embarrassment from that Golden State team.
That’s why we love this jersey. Golden State was everything David Stern hated about the NBA – trash-talking, undisciplined basketball. Yet it won games, and that’s all that really matters. But then we take a look at the jersey, and it’s sleek and new and shiny. Clean. The colors are a nice combination, but nothing special. The jersey was a medium, or really a rejection of that medium. You can force us to speak a certain way and play a certain way and act a certain way, but it’s all talk in the end. The fact they played on the Warriors is icing on the cake. They were Warriors, fighting for their own cause and hoping to break out of any predetermined mold.
7. NEW YORK’s BLUE RETRO JERSEY
…Check it out on eBay… (Ed. note: Technically, this is the Knicks old jersey rather than the recent retro – which is also basically now their full-time jersey. But it’s close enough so we had to go with it.)
Knickerbocker orange and blue is classic on its own, so we couldn’t just leave off New York’s most prized team. Their jerseys in recent years have been relatively the same, but there’s something retro about this jersey that’s quietly appealing. It’s not much different from other Knicks jerseys, and it’s mostly a blip on the radar – an alternate that finds itself into the players’ lockers every once in a while. But it’s better that way, or else the jersey would probably lose its luster.
The retro look might be a phenomenon meant to increase merchandise profits, but there’s something fitting about its existence in New York. It’s been nearly 40 years since the Larry O’Brien trophy found its way to Madison Square Garden, and the Knicks have tried every way to get that title again – the talentless chemistry years under Jeff Van Gundy, the spending splurges of Isiah Thomas, and the more reasonable star seeking of James Dolan. It all equaled nothing.
Maybe the Knicks should take a look at that jersey and rediscover the grit and will of Willis Reed and Walt Frazier. Maybe then New York will have something to celebrate.
6. CHICAGO’S BLACK ALTERNATE JERSEY
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There’s really no deeper meaning to this one. The Bulls’ modern day black jersey is simply awesome, partly because black and red make for quite the combination. Nothing will ever compare to that Jordan red, and we don’t expect Derrick Rose to supplant Air Jordan on the gear front. But Chicago managed to modernize a time-tested color scheme.
And maybe that black best personifies this new-age Chicago Bulls team, one built on defense and random feats of athleticism. Their defense is black hole-ish, swallowing those penetrating to the basket, and dominating the glass with ease. They should probably go with that jersey more often during the season, if only to differentiate between eras and let Derrick Rose establish his own regime. Sure, he’s won an NBA MVP and led his team to the Eastern Conference’s top seed in consecutive seasons, but ultimately no one really considers the Bulls true title contenders. And until that widespread sentiment is changed, they’ll never step out of Jordan’s shadow.
5. MINNESOTA’S JERSEYS OF THE EARLY 2000s
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Hate him all you like, his potty mouth and dirty plays and illegal screens and spit-spewing intensity. But you have to feel for the guy, on some level. Remember when Wally Szczerbiak, Troy Hudson, Sam Cassell and Latrell Sprewell were Kevin Garnett‘s strongest running mates? It was a sad time in Minnesota, and somehow he never publicly jumped ship. In today’s NBA, his modernized version may have demanded a trade, baffled millions and ended up destroying his credibility in the process. Oh wait, that’s just Dwight Howard. And LeBron James. And Carmelo Anthony.
Minnesota has modernized its jersey since then, signaling a changing of the guard and a post-Garnett world. It’s understandable, wanting to completely cut ties. But in the process one of the NBA’s best jerseys was ruined. The jagged and white “Timberwolves” letters were welcome changes from the simplicity NBA jerseys were embodying at the time, and the green trim was a nice touch. It’s hard to put your finger on exactly what is so tantalizing about this jersey. Maybe it’s what it represents – an NBA where players played on their own teams and re-signed with those same teams when they became free agents. It wasn’t just about championships and glory, but fealty, justice and personal triumph. This coincided with our perceptions that NBA players care about their cities, when it was really just a desire to beat the best by themselves. Or, more simply, play the hand they’re dealt. That’s what Kevin Garnett did, and has always done, and that’s what he did once again when only considering Boston this past offseason. Although we really would love to see him raise a championship banner in Minnesota, still wearing that green trim.
4. PHILADELPHIA’s JERSEYS OF THE EARLY 2000s
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Historically, this jersey makes little sense. “76ers” refers to 1776, an historic year for the United States in one of its most important cities. But the five-pointed star, the shooting star basketball… it’s all kind of random. Yet so were those teams, when Aaron McKie and Eric Snow were important NBA names, when Allen Iverson and his Philadelphia 76ers shocked the picturesque Lakers in Game 1 of the 2001 NBA Finals. Most importantly, these Sixers jerseys, as with many others in this list, marked an era: the Iverson era. If there was any player who wore his emotions on his sleeve and provided a window into his mind, it was Allen Iverson.
The Eastern Conference was a wide open battlefield back then, with the Sixers, Nets and Pacers all advancing and ultimately getting squashed by the Los Angeles Lakers. But that Sixers jersey was the only one that felt simultaneously retro and modern. The star on the neckline of the jersey was particularly revealing for Allen Iverson, because that’s what he was – an individual. He never experienced true team success, and even in those winning years, it was “Allen Iverson and the rest of the Sixers.” Still, if there was any move you ever wanted to emulate, it was the A.I. crossover while rocking The Answer’s jersey.
3. CLEVELAND’s JERSEYS IN THE MID-2000s
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This one hurts Cleveland and every NBA dream we’ve ever had. There was LeBron James, The King, exceeding impossible expectations and winning by himself. He vanquished Boston, he overcame Detroit with one of the most epic performances of all time, and he put Cleveland basketball on the map. One terrible PR decision later, his reputation is forever stained. Even though he has his ring and that initial sting of betrayal has largely worn off, there’s still mild resistance – watching him goof around with Team USA like he’s back on the Cavs just doesn’t feel right. It feels stolen and disingenuous, and it’s not how this was supposed to play out.
Many bought a pair of red and gold Cleveland shorts back in 2007 because they wanted to be a part of that craze. Most loved LeBron and Cleveland. Rooting for them felt like justice.
Cleveland has largely altered its color scheme now, with a more yellowish tint dominating their lettering. It’s Kyrie Irving‘s time. And the jersey feels throwback too, not like the smooth, yet simple jersey of the mid-2000s Cavs. It’s as if they were trying to erase the past seven years because that plain white with red lettering and blue numbers is a reminder of the LeBron James we used to love and wanted to root for, reminded us of the storybook ending we all wanted. But it never came to fruition because LeBron’s desires didn’t match our own. Now, we’re only stuck with nostalgia.
2. CHARLOTTE HORNETS’ FINAL JERSEY
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Charlotte was a rabid basketball city, once upon a time, but financial troubles and the second-worst attendance in the NBA forced the team to move to New Orleans to increase profits. That final season in 2001-2002, Baron Davis, P.J. Brown, Jamal Mashburn, Elden Campbell, and David Wesley led the Hornets to a 44-38 record, good for second in the Central Division. After knocking off the Orlando Magic 3-1 in the first round, they were knocked out in the East Semis, losing to the Jason Kidd-led New Jersey Nets in fives games.
But we’re here to talk about jerseys. The sharp distinction between the teal and white stripes created a retro-modern contrast. On the one hand, the teal is sleek – it catches the eye and gives the jersey that “new” feel. But the stripes, that’s super old school. It’s too bad we’ll never see the next iteration of that jersey – and no, New Orleans doesn’t count. The integration of new colors was ultimately necessary if New Orleans wanted to establish it’s own brand and legacy, but it was a loss for jersey collectors everywhere. For those still owning a Charlotte jersey, well they’re the lucky ones.
1. SEATTLE SONICS’ FINAL JERSEY
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What if… Seattle is a basketball town through and through, and every NBA fan hopes the city acquires a NBA franchise once more. This is no knock on Oklahoma City, and we can hardly blame those fans for embracing their team and turning their home court into one of the most deadly advantages in the league. But it all could have been different. We could have been wearing Kevin Durant Seattle Supersonics jerseys. Even in that last year before the move to OKC, when we knew the inevitable was coming, Seattle refused to change. The jersey was awkward and ugly, with that horrifically arched white stripe running across the middle to disrupt the sea of green.
It was representative of Seattle’s resistance towards the move, that the NBA couldn’t usher them into a new era. The team wasn’t willing to just drop everything and change. We love that last Supersonics jersey. It’s a reminder of what was.
The process became even more painstaking once Sam Presti constructed a contender with young and affable superstars, creating a sense of loyalty, hard work and unselfishness. It’s what basketball is meant to be, and it’s what Seattle deserved after years of losing. It never worked out the way we want it to, but that doesn’t mean we can’t memorialize what should have been Seattle’s beloved team by showing love to their final jersey.
What was the best NBA jersey of this century?
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