NBA Alternative Jerseys RANKED
- Matt McLaughlin
- Jan 6, 2021
- 7 min read
With another season of NBA action already underway, it’s only fair to see how the new alternate jerseys for this season turned out.
Here's the link for each team's jersey.
Credit: NBA.com
30. Sacramento Kings
While the Kings are off to a decent 3-4 start, these jerseys are a horrendous Frankenstein, moshpit of past Kings jersey sets that do not create a cohesive, fresh alternative uniform. Although I do understand the idea of looking to the past, the reveal video was so dimly lit it felt like I was watching the Long Night from Game of Thrones all over again.
Credit: NBA.com
29. Milwaukee Bucks
When these jerseys were released, my first thought was that Bucks ownership approved the first design they saw just to get back to negotiations with Giannis Antetokounmpo. These jerseys are about as ugly as they can get. The two different blue panels on the jersey already confuse my brain but the addition of the spliced line in the center of the jersey makes one of the worst Bucks jersey of the last half-decade, which says a lot given that we’ve seen the highlighter alternates.
26. Utah Jazz
Continuing the trend of jerseys that don’t make sense, how did the Jazz front office think that filling half of this uniform with black and brown was a good idea?
Credit: NBA.com
Credit: NBA.com
25. Washington Wizards
With the addition of Russell Westbrook, the Wizards do have the components to make a tough team that could sneak in to the playoffs. Unfortunately, they won’t be doing it in style because these jerseys just scream bleh to me, but at least the design makes sense. My favorite part of this uniform is the flag on the side paneling, but the uniform lacks creativity overall.
Credit: NBA.com
24. Denver Nuggets
The Denver sunset outline is such a great jersey template, yet for SOME REASON the Nuggets decided to make the entire jersey red with yellow and orange lines to simulate a true sunset. What sunset has made the sky completely blood red? C’mon Denver, you guys have some of the best jerseys ever just stick with the bread and butter.
Credit: Fanatics.com
24. Minnesota Timberwolves
The Timberwolves have put out some of the most underappreciated jerseys of all-time (i.e. Kevin Garnett black alternates), but this jersey will not be one of them. It’s a great tint of black but the gray lettering and neon green striping make this uniform look like it’s for a laser tag team.
Credit: NBA.com
23. Orlando Magic
When I first saw the silhouette of the Shaq-Penny era jerseys, I was ecstatic but painting this jersey with orange just didn’t add to that excitement or create something fresh. I do give credit to the Magic for trying to put a new spin on a classic, but white and bright orange doesn’t sit well.
Credit: NBA.com
22. Oklahoma City Thunder
I will never understand the fascination of slicing the OKC jerseys with colorful lines across the jersey, and these uniforms give me more questions than answers. The race car aesthetic delivers a new aesthetic but the large, bright striping doesn’t hit for me and leaves a lot to be desired, especially looking back at some of the fantastic “OKC” alternates.
Credit: NBA.com
21. Detroit Pistons
The last decade of uniforms from the Pistons have been awful but these jerseys turned out fairly well. The addition of carbon-looking surfaces referring to car engines adds a new flavor and the removal of large gray panels as the main color make this jersey a huge boost for the organization but not enough compared to the rest of the league.
Credit: NBA.com
20. Houston Rockets
Who asked for an all-blue Rockets jersey?....
No one?....
My case rests.
Credit: NBA.com
19. New Orleans Pelicans
I’m not a fan of the Pelicans primary jerseys but this alternate is actually pretty decent, but my one issue with this alternative jersey is the red shoulder panel that sits atop the jersey. Don’t get me wrong I love the nod to the municipal flag of New Orleans but it could’ve been so much cleaner with some red piping or trim.
18. New York Knicks
One of the biggest surprises of the early stages of the season is the decent 4-3 start to the Knicks’ season and that’s what these jerseys are--decent. The collaboration with Kith was exciting but the unoriginal circle with “CITY NEVER SLEEPS” seems like the most recycled phrase and design for a basketball jersey, but the gradient colors on the sides and in the logo combined with the black save this jersey from the bottom of my rankings
Credit: NBA Store.com
17. Boston Celtics
The Celtics have produced some great third jerseys but these uniforms come across as somewhat bland, BUT they could’ve been incredibly worse. I do like the nod to the championship banners hanging in the rafters of the TD Garden, and the previous all-gray uniforms were hideous.
Credit: NBA.com
16. Los Angeles Clippers
The Grand Theft Auto lettering returns this year but this time with black as the primary color and adds more white on the sides of the uniform set. Overall, the design is good enough to go back to but the lack of creativity puts this jersey in the middle of the back.
Credit: NBA.com
15. Toronto Raptors
The Raptors utilizing gold and black makes some of the best new jersey creations and this was another very good new release but I was expecting a little more flair than just an underlined “Toronto” on the front of the jersey.
14. Memphis Grizzlies “City” Edition
Memphis has produced some of the best and most creative jerseys of the last few years and this release adds to that great collection over the years. In my opinion, these jerseys are like Jay-Z albums, time needs to pass before you start appreciating them. These “City” editions are fantastic with a gold and black color scheme but the side paneling looks like an ugly Christmas sweater, which is why it sits outside the top ten.
13. Indiana Pacers
The Pacers have had some of the best jerseys in the entire NBA, dating back to the Reggie Miller days and these striped jerseys are classic yet fresh. The pinstriping is classic and the shades of blue and yellow are a fantastic combination.
12. Golden State Warriors
The Warriors went directly to the most beloved team in franchise history with an homage to the “We Believe” Warriors squad throwback, but with “Oakland” on the front to salute the Bay for hosting the Warriors for two-plus decades.
Credit: NBA.com
Credit: NBA.com
11. Dallas Mavericks
This jersey is a work of art and belongs in a museum or one of Mark Cuban’s mansions. The white and gold combination works so well and is a major upgrade from Dallas’ primary uniform sets. With that being said, I put this jersey outside the top ten because there were other upgrades that were just a bit more creative and exotic.
Credit: NBA.com
10. Chicago Bulls
Another masterpiece of a jersey, the Bulls pulled off one of the most radical shifts in jersey changes and it came out beautifully. These jerseys pay homage to the architecture of the Windy City and the different color combinations are fantastic and represent true class and respect for one of the most famous cities in the world.
Credit: NBA.com
9. Atlanta Hawks
Atlanta finally scratched the ugly neon designs and went back to its bread and butter with some great jerseys, but the crown jewel is the “City” edition, which pays homage to the great Martin Luther King Jr. Coming off one of the most tumultuous seasons ever, Atlanta embraced one of its most beloved icons in such a classy and respectful way that this jersey belongs in the top ten.
Credit: NBA.com
8. Charlotte Hornets
Charlotte possesses one of the best color combinations in all of sports and shifting away from teal and purple to teal, black, and gold paid off dividends. The “City” Edition refers to the Queen City hosting the first U.S. Branch Mint and the Carolina Gold Rush in the 1800s, and this uniform makes me feel like I got Jordan’s bank account.
Credit: NBA.com
7. Los Angeles Lakers
While the jersey is not completely original, the Lakers going back to the original uniform designs of Jerry West and Elgin Baylor was an extremely smart move. These blue and white alternates remain timeless, but I’m dying for LeBron to push the Crenshaw alternate for just one season.
Credit: NBA.com
6. Phoenix Suns
I thought the Suns finished putting the NBA world on notice with the Chris Paul trade and wow, I was completely wrong. This “City” edition is one of the most challenging uniforms I’ve ever seen in my lifetime, yet it somehow works. The skyline backed by Tetris-looking blocks somehow looks amazing and “The Valley” on the front, combined with purple trim on the collar, make this a perfect example of successful innovation.
Credit: NBA.com
5. Philadelphia 76ers
Speaking of radical shifts in jerseys, the Sixers pulled out all the stops on this jersey. At first, I absolutely hated it but now I love it. The depiction of Boathouse Row is a fantastic touch and the red and blue trim on the collar and sleeves give the uniform some flavor without being excessive. The design of adding the number on the top and “PHILADELPHIA” on the bottom make this uniform so much more unique than the rest of the league.
Credit: NBA.com
4. San Antonio Spurs
The Spurs FINALLY added some color to their jerseys for the first time in decades and it wasn’t a camo jersey, that’s why it’s so high.
Credit: NBA.com
3. Miami Heat
Ahh more renditions of the “Vice” jerseys. You cannot go wrong with any combinations of these jerseys and I’m glad this is the last one because it only could’ve gone so far. I appreciate the daring blend of pink and blue while also making the jersey legible. This is a great sendoff for the “Vice” era and was the most bold rendition of this iconic line.
Credit: NBA.com
2. Portland Trail Blazers
Portland has been the most creative organization for years when it comes to jerseys, and this jersey is another example of that genius. Paying homage to the natural landscape of ORegon, the combination of Earth tones with a rainbow on the side somehow work to perfection. Furthermore, the printing of the Nike swoosh in its original orange color is a fantastic small detail and the “Oregon” script adds to the pure sophistication of this uniform.
Credit: NBA.com
1. Brooklyn Nets “Throwback”
This jersey is like the high school or college crush you meet on the first day. As soon as you see it, you know that it’s the best one and that you will do almost everything to score this jersey. Saluting the Drazen Petrovic-era, Brooklyn recreated one of the best jerseys ever with the iconic, red “NETS” lettering and powder blue coloring making this the best jersey of the 2020-’21 season.
Comments