Top 10 NBA Throwback Jerseys

Since the start of athletics and competition, teams have created a countless number of jerseys and uniforms that they wore to represent their organization. There have been uniforms that have inspired new trends, as well as uniforms that have been worn for only one season because they were such eyesores. The jersey is arguably the most important part of a basketball organization, it is a symbol of the organization and gives the team an identity.

The criteria we graded these jerseys are based on innovation, color scheme, and uniqueness.

A good throwback jersey can be among the top sellers in all jersey sales and can be a staple in any sports fan’s jersey collection. We feel it doesn’t matter if you root for a specific team or not, but a good throwback jersey is cool to own or see someone else wearing.

10. Miami Heat: Miami Floridians- 1970-72 

Overall, most people we have asked about this jersey were not fans of it; we have even seen it on several Top Ugliest Jersey’s list, but in our opinion, it makes the top 10 throwbacks. The modern font along with the pink and orange accents on this jersey really represent the Heat’s hometown and its weather perfectly.

9. Minnesota Timberwolves: 1997-2008

This jersey stands out to us because it represents the Kevin Garnett era in Minnesota. The team had success while he was there and they rocked these jerseys for eleven years. Our favorite part about the jersey is the green and black trim.

8. Denver Nuggets: 1983-1993

This one really catches your eye with bright colors and a cool design. The city skyline and mountains in the background are unique parts of the jersey that represent the city of Denver. Eccentric type jerseys, such as this one, normally don’t have a long lifespan but this was worn for 10 seasons.

7. Chicago Bulls: 1973-1985

With such a basic design and color scheme, the Bulls had this jersey last for a solid 12 seasons. The Bulls wore this jersey for the last time during Michael Jordan’s rookie season.

6. Los Angeles Lakers: 1978-1999

Classic. This jersey brought the Lakers a lot of success of the 21 seasons they wore it. From the Magic Johnson era all the way to the Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal era in the late 1990s, the Lakers were a dominant force in the NBA amassing 5 championships with multiple NBA legends, making this jersey one of the iconic throwbacks of all time.

5. Phoenix Suns: 1992-2000

Although the Suns did not win any championships while wearing this jersey, we still feel it is among the nicest throwback jerseys. It is rare to see one out on the streets, especially living in New York, but it is a beautiful looking jersey.

4. Orlando Magic: 1994-1998

With another basic designed jersey idea, the mid 1990s Orlando Magic had a star player in Shaquille O’Neal, and a star in the middle of the jersey. The team made a jersey change after Shaq left for Los Angeles. We like this jersey because of the pinstripes and the star in the center of the jersey. 

3. Atlanta Hawks: 1982-1992

With stars such as Dominique Wilkins and Spud Webb (the shortest player to ever win the Dunk Contest), the Hawks dawned these jerseys for 10 years before retiring them in 1992. We like this jersey because of its abstract design and flashy colors that go together better than PB&J. The Hawks last wore this in 2015 as a throwback.

2. Utah Jazz: 1996-2004

Stockton to Malone are the 2 most common names that you will see on the back of this glorious throwback jersey. This jersey is just a perfect design and the mountains set behind the lettering give it innovative style for the time.

1. Toronto Raptors: 1995-1999

Everything about this jersey screams eccentric and it is different from anything the NBA had seen before. The dinosaur on the front of the jersey and the multi-colored pinstripes are two of the features that stand out the most. This jersey is well-known for being in highlight reels of monster dunks but we think its style makes it at the top of the list.