NBA First Alternate Jerseys

[eibram 139]

Let's just take a look at each team's first attempt at adding an alternate jersey and choose the best (or worst):

 

Celtics:

 

Clippers:

 

Hornets/Pelicans:

 

Wizards:

 

Bulls:

 

Cavaliers:

 

Mavericks:

 

Nuggets:

 

Pistons:

 

Pacers:

 

Heat:

 

Bucks:

 

Lakers:

 

Timberwolves:

 

Jazz:

 

Nets:

 

Knicks:

 

Magic:

 

Warriors:

 

Suns:

 

Blazers:

 

Kings:

 

Spurs:

 

Rockets:

 

Sonics/Thunder:

 

Raptors:

 

Hawks:

 

Grizzlies:

 

Bobcats/Hornets:

 

Sixers:

[sayahh 568]

Heat, Magic and Hornets were the best, IMO, from this bunch, followed closely by the Suns and the Blazers.  I'm sure someone else will choose the Jazz and the Nets, though.

[DG_Now 7,123]

Cool list.

 

- I don't have a use for those white Lakers jerseys. It's a shame Kobe wore those for his 80-point game.

- That Warriors set is better than what they wear today.

- I remember when the black Bulls set came out. I wasn't a fan then, but I thought they looked awesome.

- It's a shame the Mavs dumped that set after one game (a blowout loss to LA, IIRC). They looked great.

[FinsUp1214 3,268]

Some really awesome ones on this list. My favorites are the Hornets, Bulls, Nets, Bucks, Magic, Grizzlies, and Suns.

 

And as a kid, I never liked the Jazz alt at all. Not even being a 9-10 year old fan made those better to me. The purples were 10x better.

[infrared41 4,775]

I'm probably in the minority, but I loved this Hawks uniform. But I liked all the goofy "racing stripes" looks from the 70's.

 

 

#8 in the third pick ins't some guy with the last name of Bells. It's Walt Bellamy. Back in the 70's, a few teams went with nicknames or first names on the back of their jerseys. 

 

 

 

 

 

[Cujo 3,046]

The Hornets were the first team I recall bringing in full-time alts in 1994. The Magic weren't far behind.

 

[Old School Fool 2,020]

56 minutes ago, Cujo said:

The Hornets were the first team I recall bringing in full-time alts in 1994. The Magic weren't far behind.

 

 

Yeah, the Orlando Magic may have popularized the alternate jersey in the NBA for good after they took it all the way to the Finals against the Rockets.

 

[mjd77 934]

56 minutes ago, Cujo said:

The Hornets were the first team I recall bringing in full-time alts in 1994. The Magic weren't far behind.

 

 

I was gonna ask if anyone knew who was the first 90's team to introduce an alternate.  I thought it was Charlotte as well.

[mjd77 934]

In the initial post, that black Orlando set is wrong.  The blue set was the alternate.

[Ferdinand Cesarano 2,988]

Those Nets alts were beautiful. But that version with the white lettering wasn't the first one. The first grey alt had blue lettering, and wasn't nearly as nice. (Unfortunately, the only picture I could find is of a children's replica jersey.)

 

 

 

[phutmasterflex 854]

I really like any alt that is just a color swap of their standard set. 

And that Nets gray one was truly a beautiful alt that I wish they wore more often 

[anythinglogos 694]

Except for the Celtics and Jazz, they all have at least some redeeming elements which make them at least not terrible, with most being very good. IMO the highlights arethe Sixers, Blazers, Magic and cavs.

 

what the hell happened, NBA?

[Discogod 326]

4 hours ago, mjd77 said:

 

I was gonna ask if anyone knew who was the first 90's team to introduce an alternate.  I thought it was Charlotte as well.

 

Charlotte, Detroit, Orlando, Phoenix & Atlanta introduced 3rd jerseys for the 1994-95 season (I believe the Hawks were the first team to actually wear them in a game but I'd need to double-check dates to be sure). Here's the Hawks' 3rd:

 

 

The San Diego Clippers also used alternate unis during the 1983-84 season - they wore both red & blue road unis that year:

 

[Ben in LA 627]

Most of them are pretty nice (including the white Lakers jersey)...but some of them I've forgotten about for good reason (like that Wizards one and that red Sonics one eww).

[Jack Holmes 375]

Those blue Sixers alts are my favourite Philly jerseys.

 

Keeping with the Iverson love, I dug those navy Nuggets alts too.

[truepg 319]

6 hours ago, phutmasterflex said:

I really like any alt that is just a color swap of their standard set. 

And that Nets gray one was truly a beautiful alt that I wish they wore more often 

 

I also liked color-swaps a lot more for alternates.

[JerseyJosh 267]

6 hours ago, Ferdinand Cesarano said:

Those Nets alts were beautiful. But that version with the white lettering wasn't the first one. The first grey alt had blue lettering, and wasn't nearly as nice. (Unfortunately, the only picture I could find is of a children's replica jersey.)

 

 

 

 

Of course a fellow Nets fan beat me to it! Good catch - was just coming to comment the same. It's pretty hard to find in game pics of this jersey. Almost like no one was there in person to take pics (which is possible with the late 90's Nets, especially if there was a snow storm or a lengthy losing streak)

[JerseyJosh 267]

5 hours ago, anythinglogos said:

what the hell happened, NBA?

 

Adidas. 

 

Champion >>> Adidas

[Old School Fool 2,020]

35 minutes ago, JerseyJosh said:

 

Of course a fellow Nets fan beat me to it! Good catch - was just coming to comment the same. It's pretty hard to find in game pics of this jersey. Almost like no one was there in person to take pics (which is possible with the late 90's Nets, especially if there was a snow storm or a lengthy losing streak)

 

I got you. Never underestimate the power of Google.

 

[MJWalker45 2,545]

9 hours ago, mjd77 said:

In the initial post, that black Orlando set is wrong.  The blue set was the alternate.

That tells you how good that blue set looked.