The NBA recently announced its seventh annual NBA Jersey Day (yes, that’s a thing). And I recently indulged (okay, overindulged) in role-player nostalgia. So, what better time to open up dialogue about our own jersey collections? More specifically, which jerseys lie in the deepest, weirdest recesses of your closets?
The actual celebration
NBA Jersey Day isn’t just a matter of repping your favourite player’s jersey, no matter how cool it is. And it definitely isn’t a veiled attempt to increase jersey sales. No, this is a serious,
wholesome thing—you know because it has rules! “But what are they?” I can hear you scream. Thankfully, NBA.com’s Ali Jawad’s got you covered:
The Rules:
1. Post a picture of you and your favorite jersey on social media during the 24-hour window on Oct. 19.
2. Tag @NBA and your favorite team account for a chance to be featured on league and team social media channels and connect with basketball fans worldwide.
All fans, celebrities, and basketball lovers around the globe are encouraged to wear their favorite NBA jersey and share a photo on social media before the American Express NBA Tip-Off 2026.
It can be a jersey of any kind.
That’s right, Brew Hoopers: “any kind.”
Okay, I’ll go first
With the knowledge that the sacrality of NBA Jersey Day permits it, it’s time to go digging for the obscure. For me, this meant foraging through dust-covered boxes and bags in my garage. The good news? I hadn’t thrown out my collection.
Now, I must confess, I’m no jersey aficionado; while I have a collection, I’m not a collector—growing up in Australia during the early 2000s severely limited any possibility of that. Mine are more signposts of times and places. Some of these are cherished, others are… Well, remnants of a version of me that no longer exists.
Let’s begin!
Falling in love with the NBA and a rare find on a South Pacific cruise
You can’t choose how the NBA first hooks you. For me, it was NBA Live in the late 90s. Then Kobe. Soon it was saving pocket money to buy my first jersey from Champs Sports: KB8, fresh white T underneath, the swish-swash of DADA pants. Man…
Joakim came a lot later—and really only because I was shocked to find it in New Caledonia. Do I regret buying it as a Bucks fan? Somewhat. Do I wish I’d found a Larry Sanders one instead? Yes.
A pair of 7s
New York with my best mate. Nothin’ more, nothin’ less. Well, I did don the Iso Joe one during a social basketball championship campaign…
Bootleg Bali Bucks
By this point I was a devout Buck. But Giannis wasn’t Giannis—not yet. In fact, while Jabari’s bootleg jersey was already sprawled across the markets in Kuta, you couldn’t find a Giannis one. Anywhere. The locals were more than happy to accommodate though, tailoring both versions for me. And while that particular green is gross, it makes the bootleg bootlegs pretty damn rare.
Two days later, I proposed to my (now) wife.
Milwaukee memories
These are the two that still live collect dust in my robe. The Giannis one was an end-of-year gift from a group of graduating Year 12s (seniors) who’ve gone on to bigger and better things. The Brogdon one is from my wife. It didn’t take long for The Prez to become one of my favourite ballers, but it did take a long time to get this jersey. Two months later, he was signed-and-traded to the Indiana Pacers.
Wait, what?
But if we’re talkin’ most obscure NBA jersey, it’s not even close.
MSG, 2013. Yet-to-be Bucks littered the court: Chris Copeland, Steve Novak, Greivis Vásquez, Robin Lopez. Ex-Buck Kurt Thomas collected a DNP. And while my mate picked a Steve Novak jersey off the rack, I had to get Pablo’s custom made, pick it up at halftime. He did Prigioni things too: eight points (3/4 FG), four rebounds, five assists, a steal—and a game-high +18 in the dub.
Now that I’ve let my skeletons out, won’t you do the same? Which jersey—prized possession or regretful relic—is your most obscure? Drop a photo and its story in the comments as you warm up for the official NBA Jersey Day on October 19!
