If you're a basketball fan, you've probably wondered at some stage what are the best NBA jerseys of all time. Fortunately, we've compiled a list of our favourites throughout the sport's history, considering their designs and the success of the teams during each kit's era, to help you find the answer.
While NBA uniforms have typically remained consistent over the years, Nike has brought about change with the introduction of City Edition strips. Nonetheless, a select few jerseys have truly stood the test of time and deserve recognition as some of the greatest NBA jerseys ever designed.
So, from captivating retro offerings like the Denver Nuggets jersey to more contemporary designs like the Atlanta Hawks City Edition kit, we have gathered the very best from some of the most illustrious teams in basketball history.
Best NBA jerseys of all time
- Los Angeles Lakers Home (1978–1999)
- Denver Nuggets Swingman Road (1991–1992)
- Atlanta Hawks City Edition (2022-2023)
- Chicago Bulls Road (1985-Present)
- Boston Celtics Road (1972-2014)
1. Los Angeles Lakers Home (1978–1999)
The Los Angeles Lakers are one of the most successful NBA teams of all time with a joint record-breaking 17 titles at this moment in time.
As a result, we feel it's hard to look past the team's legendary yellow and purple jersey as one of the best NBA kits in the history of the sport.
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We believe this 1978 adaptation, in particular, is one of the best thanks to the subtle but iconic modification of the numbers and letters to purple, thus helping the jersey stand out on the court with one of the best basketballs in hand.
With a star-studded selection of players who have worn the shirt as well, we feel it's only right that the Los Angeles Lakers jersey makes our list.
2. Denver Nuggets Swingman Road (1991–1992)
The '80s saw the debut of this incredible Denver Nuggets jersey which we feel sums up the term retro superbly.
What we like about the kit, in particular, is the horizontal rainbow stripe cutting straight across the chest to provide a backdrop to the white city skyline graphic.
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The rest of the shirt arrives in a dark blue contrasted by the Denver Nuggets' iconic yellow tone that helps make the kit really stand out on the court.
While the Denver Nuggets have never really seen much success as a team, we believe the franchise's rainbow skyline jersey remains one of the best in NBA history.
3. Atlanta Hawks City Edition (2022-2023)
This Peachtree City Edition 2022/23 uniform, inspired by the renowned Peachtree Street in Atlanta, stands out as one of the best NBA jerseys of the modern era.
It pays homage to the city's origins as a cultural trendsetter. The colours and design of the jersey and shorts capture the electrifying energy from the heart of Atlanta and its basketball franchise.
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The gradient, ranging from Electro Peach to Sunset Haze, mirrors the incredible diversity that defines Atlanta as well, rooted in the essence of what makes it truly special.
All of this light peach design is placed on a simple black backdrop, creating some excellent contrast to round off what is an exceptionally stunning NBA jersey.
4. Chicago Bulls Road (1985-Present)
When it comes to the best-looking NBA jerseys, we feel it's hard to beat this Chicago Bulls kit made famous by non-other than Michael Jordan himself.
The jersey featured as part of the infamous three-peat where a team consisting of Michael Jordan, wearing his infamous Air Jordans, alongside Scotty Pippen won back-to-back-to-back NBA titles.
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The kit itself is an absolute classic, featuring a simple red and white colour scheme combined with contrasting black lettering that just suits Chicago to a tee.
As a result, we feel this jersey is one of the most stunning to watch on the court and is definitely one of the best in basketball history.
5. Boston Celtics Road (1972-2014)
Like their long-term rivals the Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics are one of the most successful teams in the history of the NBA, but throughout their long history, the classic green and white jersey has remained almost exactly the same.
That doesn't mean it's not great though. The kit's simple yet effective two-tone design perfectly captures the essence of the city.
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In particular, we're a fan of the 1972-2014 iteration which featured the "Celtics" banner across the chest as opposed to the now reverted "Boston" branding from pre-1972.
Overall, the Boston Celtics jersey is truly a great throwback kit from one of the best teams to ever play basketball.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
As new NBA jerseys come out each season, you may have a few questions surrounding them. Don't worry though because we've answered some of the most commonly asked questions right here.
Where can you buy NBA jerseys?
One of the go-to places to pick an NBA jersey is the official NBA store. You can pick up both new and retro kits, including swingman and authentic jerseys, across every team in the Eastern and Western Conferences from the website.
You can also find jerseys at Nike as the sportswear brand manufacturers every kit seen in the NBA as of right now.
What are the rules for an NBA jersey?
There aren't too many rules surrounding NBA jerseys and what is and isn't allowed, with most restrictions placed on the name and number in order for it to be clearly visible on TV.
According to the NBA rules, a jersey must have the name and number of the player on the front and back in a colour that contrasts the jersey. A player must also keep their basketball jersey tucked into their shorts whilst in play.
Other than that, there really aren't too many more official rules of note.
You may think there's a rule about the uniforms being vests; however, this is only done to allow players to move more freely without any restrictions around the arms.
Do NBA jerseys fit true to size?
Generally speaking, most NBA jerseys, particularly those from the modern era, will run slightly small due to their athletic, slim-fit designs.
If you're unsure, we'd recommend taking your measurements with a tape measure and then comparing them to a size chart. You can find these on most manufacturers' websites.
For a slightly baggier fit, we'd recommend going for something slightly larger than your measurements.
How do you start an NBA jersey collection?
This depends on the type of approach you take to collecting basketball jerseys.
As Nike releases such a wide variety of uniforms each year now, like City and Classic uniforms, it might be a good idea to begin by purchasing the kits from your favourite franchise. Eventually, you'll start to amass a sizeable collection if you continue to pick up jerseys at the start of each season.
You could also pick up any kits you simply like the look of or that you like the story behind, like this new Celtics City Edition uniform which honors the Hall of Famer Bill Russell.
Ultimately, the choice is yours. Once you start to buy a few, your collection will no doubt continue to grow.
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