Basketball jerseys have come a long way since the 1900s. They began with long padded shorts and suction-cup shoes. As the sport began to grow, differentiation between teams led to colored dyes on sleeveless shirts, complete with cotton knickers and knee-high socks. Eventually, synthetic material made for performance and the popularity of the sport and its players have led us to a place where the release of a new style of jersey involves your team’s mascot riding around on a jet ski being filmed by a drone.
Jerseys can be deeply nostalgic. Maybe you catch a glimpse of a black Minnesota Timberwolves jersey with Christmas trees on the trim, and you’ll be transported back to the days of watching a certain number twenty-one pounding his chest as part of his pre-game ritual.