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Retro NBA Jerseys — Going "Old School"

The headbands, the knee pads, the high socks, the short shorts, those outrageously big afros—who doesn’t love old school NBA basketball? Some of the styles are unforgettable, and some we’d rather forget. But hotter now more than ever are those colorful retro NBA jerseys made famous by guys like Wilt Chamberlain and Moses Malone. Throwback fans across the country are constantly in search of that one of a kind authentic jersey, with many paying top dollar to get their hands on a retro rarity.

When one takes a look at the back catalogue of throwback NBA jerseys available for sale today, it’s no wonder why they’re such collector’s items. Many of these "old school" jerseys feature unique designs not seen in today’s jerseys and conjure up memories of simpler, nostalgic times. For instance, take the Sacramento Kings throwbacks from the 1987-88 season. They’re powder blue, with white lettering and red trim. Pretty cool, right? But flip it around and you’ll see the player’s name below the number, unheard of in jersey design and definitely one of a kind. Then there are the Denver Nuggets retro jerseys, also from ’87-’88 (seems the late ‘80s were the pinnacle of classic NBA jersey design). These jerseys are white with a horizontal rainbow stripe across the middle. Within the stripe is what appears to be a mountainous backdrop and something resembling a game of Tetris in the foreground. Wow.

An example of a downright classic retro jersey would be Rick Barry’s #24 from the 1967 San Francisco Warriors. It’s gold with royal blue and white trim and features the words "The City" on the front along with a circular logo featuring the Bay Bridge and the player’s number. On the back, a #24 cable car ascends (or descends, we’re not quite sure) up (or down) a steep San Francisco street.

There are many more fabulous retro NBA jerseys to choose from, and our authentic basketball jerseys page is a good start to find these wonderful throwbacks.