The best classic NBA jerseys

Welcome back fellow basketball philosophers to another Friday edition of the Enjoy Basketball newsletter!

Today, we'll be taking a look at some of the best jerseys the NBA has ever produced. But first, we have a little surprise for you. As Kenny promised, here's a sneak peak at Enjoy Basketball Drop 2, coming early next week 👀

One more thing before we get started, let us know which NBA division has the best uniforms. Make sure to rep your region below.

Toronto Raptors Dino Uniforms: 1995-99

It might be a bit of a basic choice, but these Toronto Raptors fits have had more staying power than just about any jersey from the 1990s, despite the fact that the Raps never even won more than 30 games while wearing them.

As a new expansion team in a Toronto sports market with two well-established popular franchises in the Maple Leafs and the Blue Jays, the Raptors knew they needed to come out swinging with an iconic look.

And… they absolutely nailed it.

Jersey traditionalists at the time may have found it appalling, but it was a bold new look for an expansion franchise that desperately needed it. The Raptors played off the recent hype of the Jurassic Park franchise to put together a look that evoked all the same feelings with an added cool factor. A sharp sweeping font, the perfect shade of purple that was both eye-catching and an ideal background, and alternating black and white jagged vertical stripes to give the jersey a little extra flair. And finally, the pièce de résistance. A Raptor dribbling a basketball, with a matching jersey and shoes to boot.

And it doesn’t hurt that they’re synonymous with one of the flashiest high-flying players in league history. Even though he only wore them for a single season, Vince Carter will forever be associated with that classic dinosaur look. Just watch his rookie highlight tape and tell us it doesn’t want to make you wear that basketball-playing Raptor with pride.

Denver Nuggets Rainbow Skyline: 1982-93

Funnily enough, one of the NBA’s all-time iconic looks was designed by an artist in a mail-in design contest. Kerry Bowers was an aspiring artist who had moved to Denver in 1980 with plans to attend the Art Institute of Colorado. While attending a Denver Nuggets game, he just so happened to see a contest to design the Nugget's new branding in a game program. Bowers wanted to combine two iconic features, the Denver skyline, and the city's beautiful sunsets, into one logo. The rest is history.

The uniforms were a work of art. Every section stood out, from the classic Nuggets blue and yellow base, to the bold rainbow stripe that circled the entire uniform, to the snow-covered mountain backdrop, it all combined to give a perfect representation of the artsy mountain city.

Not only did Denver's colorful rainbow uniforms stand out from the crowd on the court, but they perfectly encapsulated the Nugget's unique style of play while wearing them. Trying to take advantage of the mile-high city's most unique sporting feature, its elevation, the Nuggets tried to run other teams out of the gym, hoping that their fast pace would exhaust teams not used to running with so little oxygen in the air. And to their credit, it worked. Denver made the playoffs nine years in a row wearing these threads.

This classic look was also a part of basketball history. On December 13th, 1983, the Nuggets played in the highest-scoring game in NBA history, a 186-184 triple overtime loss to the Detroit Pistons while wearing these uniforms. If you want to witness an iconic basketball moment and see these uniforms in action, check out the video below.

The uniforms are still beloved in Denver and around the world today. A re-release in 2018 sold out in eight minutes on the Nuggets online store, and the team continues to wear variations of the rainbow fit as alternate uniforms to this day.

Orlando Magic Classic Pinstripes: 1988-98

The Orlando Magic's classic pinstripe jerseys of the late 80s and 90s are proof that you don’t need an incredibly detailed concept to make an all-time great jersey. With just three colors, a few stars, and plenty of pinstripes, the Magic made perhaps the most popular set of throwback jerseys that are still worn today.

Between the white home, blue away, and black alternate jerseys, it’s impossible to go wrong when talking about this era of Orlando Magic uniforms. Despite their simplicity, each was able to stand out from the crowd on its own, mainly thanks to their myriad of pinstripes, which gave the uniforms the bit of extra pop they needed.

And, of course, you can’t talk about these classic Magic unis without talking about the iconic duo who wore them. The Shaq and Penny era in Orlando is remembered fondly by NBA fans as one of the most exhilarating young duos the league has ever seen. Shaq's sheer physical interior dominance combined with Penny’s rare combination of height and smooth ball skills for a guard made them a joy to watch night in and night out. It’s too bad Shaq left for Los Angeles while injuries chipped away at Penny’s athleticism, leaving this vintage team on the Mt. Rushmore of NBA “what could have been” squads.

I’m sure you can guess what play perfectly describes this era of Magic basketball. So sit down, relax, and enjoy the smooth dulcet tones of Shaq absolutely obliterating a basketball hoop.

Wizards, Bucks, unveil the return of classic uniforms for the 2022-23 season

Speaking of classic uniforms… we're about to get a whole lot of them next year.

Teams like the Warriors, Spurs, and Lakers have already announced their new threads, but Milwaukee and Washington stole the show this week when they announced the return of two of their franchise's most iconic uniforms.

The Bucks are bringing back their vintage purple 90s and 00s road uniforms next season as part of the Classic edition collection. The deep purple and green trim is back, along with the Buck's old logo. It's reminiscent of multiple bygone eras of Milwaukee basketball, including the Ray Allen-Glenn Robinson-Sam Cassell big three and of course, the supremely underrated Michael Redd.

The Wizards are taking their classic uniforms from the same era, bringing back the white, blue, and bronze uniforms that dazzled the DC crowds throughout the 90s and 2000s. Coming back with them will be the Wizard's old branding, one of the shining examples of exemplary NBA logo design. I mean, it’s a wizard shooting sparks with one hand and holding a basketball in the other, what more could you ask for?

Juwan Howard, Chris Webber, Jerry Stackhouse, Caron Butler, Antawn Jamison, Gilbert Arenas, John Wall, and even the legend himself Michael Jordan wore these uniforms throughout their nearly 15-year run in the nation's capital.

Kevin Durant sees the Sixers as a “favorable” destination

New Kevin Durant rumors seem as frequent and consistent as the sun rising in the morning these days, so might as well throw a new team into the mix for the KD sweepstakes, and one you might not have expected.

According to SNY’s Ian Begley, Durant sees the Philadelphia 76ers as a “welcome landing spot” in addition to the usual suspects in the Heat, Suns, and Celtics. Not only would he immediately form the best 1-2 frontcourt punch in the league with Joel Embiid, but Durant would once again be reunited with former Oklahoma City and Brooklyn teammate James Harden. Even though Harden left the Nets under dubious circumstances mere months ago, the two apparently harbor no ill will and were recently seen working out together in Barcelona.

As for what Philadelphia can offer Brooklyn in a move for KD, the answer has to start with Tyrese Maxey. He’s coming off a stellar sophomore campaign capped off by a herculean effort in the playoffs. A combination of Tobias Harriss, Matisse Thybulle, and draft picks would probably be enough to push a trade over the line. The only question is, would Philadelphia pull the trigger? Maxey is 13 years younger than Durant after all, and seems primed to be the future of Sixers basketball should he stick around.

2022 NBA Rookies Most Likely to Look Like Steals - Jonathan Wasserman (Bleacher Report)

Jeremy Lin on the fight Stephen Curry faced to play his own way and lasting effects of 'Linsanity' - Stuart Hodge (SkySports)

Through Her Eyes: How Chelsea Gray sees what you can't - Nekias Duncan (Basketball News)

Thank you for getting through another edition of the Enjoy Basketball Newsletter! We'd like to take this time to once again remember the legendary life and career of Bill Russell, whose #6 was just retired leaguewide earlier this week. It's just another reminder of the incredible legacy and imprint he's left on the game of basketball. Keep him, and all the great basketball trailblazers, in your thoughts as you watch the modern game we're so blessed to witness.

Until next week.

-Spencer Poole

Trivia Answer: The four foreign-born NBA player who have won Finals MVP are Hakeem Olajuwon (1994 and 1995), Tony Parker (2007), Dirk Nowitzki (2011), and Giannis Antetokounmpo (2021)

Trivia Question: 49 of the 50 US States have produced at least one NBA player. Which is the only state that hasn't?