Ranking the Greatest NBA All-Star Jerseys of All Time
The NBA All-Star break has arrived and one of the best parts of the weekend is when the league unveils the game uniforms.
While this year's jerseys have yet to be shown to the public, we are honoring the weekend with a look back at the best looks from 1985 until now.
Just missed the cut
2007 (Las Vegas)
These uniforms get a lot of credit because they just scream “Vegas.” There seems to be a lot going on in terms of how these jerseys blend together but they weren't a total miss.
2015 (New York)
These jerseys got killed when the NBA unveiled them, and rightfully so. No wording on the front and the full names on the back of the jersey missed the mark. I don’t hate them but if they would have simply put East/West on the front of the uniform, these would be in the Top 10 for sure.
10. 2019 (Charlotte)
Bob Donnan/USA TODAY Sports
Jordan Brand went the minimalist route in 2018 and 2019, but the red-and-blue lining in ‘19 does enough to make these pop out.
9. 2016 (Toronto)
Kobe Bryant’s final All-Star game. These are very simple and not over the top.
8. 2009 (Phoenix)
John W. McDonough/Sports Illustrated
My favorite memory from this game is when Allen Iverson surprised the locker room with his new haircut. But these jerseys were awesome. NBA and Adidas did a great job making these look futuristic.
7. 2012 (Orlando)
These were so clean! Retro vibes mixed with a little bit of modern. The darker shades of red and blue made these stand out. This All-Star game is memorable for many reasons: It is when Nike released the “Galaxy” footwear pack and of course this D-Rose awkward moment.
6. 1995 (Phoenix)
Maybe I am a sucker for nostalgia, but these uniforms were playful and also fit the whole theme of the ‘90s.
5. 2020 (Chicago)
Kyle Terada/USA TODAY Sports
Last year’s All-Star jerseys paid homage to Chicago’s transit line. The pinstripes took these to another level. It is something we haven’t seen before. It was also one of the best All-Star games in recent memory.
4. 1997–2002
Manny Millan/Sports Illustrated
Maybe one of the best uniforms was no All-Star uniform at all. From 1997 to 2002 the NBA let every star wear their own jersey. This period also happened to be a great stretch of All-Star games, besides 1999 due to the lockout. 1998 introduced Kobe Bryant to the big stage against his idol Michael Jordan. 2001 is perhaps the greatest All-Star game ever as Allen Iverson led his team to a comeback victory.
3. 1991–1994
Manny Millan/Sports Illustrated
These are classics! I need the NBA to bring these back at least once within the next decade.
2. 1996 (San Antonio)
Noren Trotman/NBAE via Getty Images
This was almost number one. People either hate or love these, and I love them. This game had arguably the greatest collection of sneakers on one court: Air Jordan 11 “Columbia,” Nike Zoom Flight 95, Air Max Uptempo, Air Penny, Reebok Kamikaze II, Shaqnosis, and the FILA GH2.
1. 1986–1990 and 2003
No one will be mad if the NBA made these the full-time All-Star uniforms going forward each year. There is just too much history that happened in these jerseys.
