- The 1990s was one of the most popular eras in NBA history, and it had some of the best-looking jerseys
- The 90s jerseys were full of bold colors and pinstripes
- Fadeaway World ranks the 10 best-looking jerseys from the 90s
The 90s was an era of neon colors, grunge music, and of course, iconic NBA jerseys. These jerseys were unique, vibrant, and bold, and they have become some of the most sought-after items of nostalgia for basketball fans.
- Honorable Mention
- NBA Eastern Conference All-Star Jersey (1996): Turquoise
- 10. Detroit Pistons (1995-2001): Teal
- 9. Houston Rockets (1995-2003): Blue And White Pinstripes
- 8. Indiana Pacers (1997-2005): Blue With Yellow Pinstripes
- 7. Utah Jazz (1996-2004): Purple
- 6. Seattle SuperSonics (1995-2001): Green And Red
- 5. Phoenix Suns (1992-2000): Purple And Orange
- 4. Charlotte Hornets (1989-1996): Teal With Purple Pinstripes
- 3. Toronto Raptors (1995-1999): Purple With Black And White Pinstripes
- 2. Chicago Bulls (1995-1997): Black With Red Pinstripes
- 1. Orlando Magic (1988-1998): Black With White Pinstripes
From the Charlotte Hornets’ teal and purple pinstripes to the Chicago Bulls’ black and red stripes, these jerseys have left a lasting impression on the world of basketball and fashion. In this article, we’ll be taking a trip down memory lane and ranking the top 10 best-looking NBA jerseys from the rad 90s.
So, if you’re a fan of retro fashion or just love basketball, get ready to relive the glory days of the NBA through the best-looking jerseys of the 90s.
Honorable Mention
NBA Eastern Conference All-Star Jersey (1996): Turquoise
For this list, we are ranking the top 10 team jerseys for the 1990s, but that doesn’t mean we have to ignore the All-Star jerseys. The jersey the Eastern Conference squad wore for the 1996 All-Star Game in San Antonio is too good to ignore.
The team wore a turquoise jersey with fuchsia, orange, black and silver fiesta mixed into it. This jersey might scream 90s more than any jersey ever made. On top of looking so fresh, this was the All-Star Game, where Michael Jordan made his return after retiring from the game.
Jordan would win the All-Star Game MVP after scoring 20 points on an efficient 8-11 shooting. The East won the game 129-118, proving they were, in fact, wearing the best All-Star jerseys of the 90s and maybe of all time.
10. Detroit Pistons (1995-2001): Teal
The Pistons’ teal jersey, featuring a chrome horse logo, was a departure from their traditional colors and became a fan favorite. The franchise was looking to move forward from its “Bad Boys” days, showing the team, like the league, had evolved.
Detroit had a new young star in Grant Hill, and these were the perfect jerseys, with the perfect logo to help bring in that 90s flavor. Also, those Sprite and McDonald’s commercials of Hill wearing the Teal jerseys were quite catchy, as well.
9. Houston Rockets (1995-2003): Blue And White Pinstripes
Fans of the Houston Rockets were used to seeing their team rock a red with yellow trim jersey throughout the years. This includes winning back-to-back titles in 1994 and 1995.
Still, before the start of the 1995-96 season, the franchise decided a change was needed. They felt like they weren’t “hip” enough for the 90s, so they came out with the iconic pinstripe jerseys.
For our list, we will select the Rockets’ road blue jerseys with white pinstripes. They are clean looking and with the updated Rockets logo, which was an angry rocket circling a basketball with the team name on it.
You can’t get more 90s than this, and that’s why it is on our list. Unfortunately, for Rockets’ fans, they would not see their team hoist another championship trophy while wearing these jerseys.
8. Indiana Pacers (1997-2005): Blue With Yellow Pinstripes
The Indiana Pacers entered the 1990s with good-looking jerseys, known as “Flo Jo” jerseys, named after designer Florence Griffith Joyner. Even though these jerseys looked great, the edge has to.be given to the blue and yellow pinstripe jerseys the team adapted in the 1997-98 season.
The dark blue with the yellow trim on the sides, with the tiny yellow pinstripes, made the jerseys pop out at you as you watched the team play. These jerseys are some of the cleanest jerseys of the 90s, as they aren’t too eccentric like most of the 90s jerseys, yet, have the feeling of the decade, thanks to the pinstripe.
These weren’t the first and won’t be the last pinstripe jerseys on this list, but they certainly are among the best. That’s why we rank the Pacers jerseys at the eighth spot.
7. Utah Jazz (1996-2004): Purple
The Utah Jazz’s purple mountain jersey, featuring a snowy mountain range, was an innovative design that is still remembered today. Utah’s jersey just screamed what it was like to live in the 90s.
Everybody wanted to be bold and showcase themselves to the world. That’s what these classic jerseys did. They showcased the heart of Utah, which is its beautiful scenery.
It also doesn’t hurt that the only two times the franchise reached the NBA Finals, the Jazz wore these iconic jerseys. Too bad they ran into Michael Jordan and his Bulls, or we might be looking at John Stockton and Karl Malone as the greatest duo to ever play.
Still, even without capturing a championship, watching Stockton and Malone work the pick and roll in those mountain jerseys was a thing of beauty.
6. Seattle SuperSonics (1995-2001): Green And Red
The Seattle SuperSonics made a bang in the 1995-96 season. First, their star guard, Gary Payton, became the first point guard to win the Defensive Player of the Year Award, and the team reached the NBA Finals.
On top of these incredible feats, the Sonics brought out a New Jersey with a flashy updated logo, showcasing the Space Needle in Seattle with a basketball. On top of the new logo, the team added red trim to their green jerseys while darkening the green itself.
This jersey’s bold new colors and style were quintessentially 90s, and anytime a fan from Seattle looks back at these jerseys, it makes them smile. Yes, Seattle deserves to have another NBA team.
Bring back the Sonics and bring back these incredible 90s threads. Oh, how nostalgic it would be.
5. Phoenix Suns (1992-2000): Purple And Orange
The Phoenix Suns’ unique color combination, featuring purple, orange, and black, along with the fiery sun logo, made this jersey stand out. It is the perfect blend of colors, especially in the 90s when bold colors ruled.
These jerseys were also worn by the franchise in the 1993 NBA Finals when their star, Charles Barkley, was at the height of his popularity. Barkley won the 1992-93 MVP after averaging 25.6 points on 52.0% shooting while grabbing 12.2 rebounds per game.
Barkley and his jerseys looked great on the court, but unfortunately, as the Utah Jazz mentioned above, Phoenix ran into Jordan and Chicago, losing the Finals. Still, you can’t deny these purple and orange Suns jerseys are championship worthy.
4. Charlotte Hornets (1989-1996): Teal With Purple Pinstripes
The one thing every 90s kid can remember about the 1990s was the popularity of the Charlotte Hornets’ teal and purple Starter brand jacket. Yes, even kids who had never watched a single game of basketball wore these jackets.
They looked so fresh, and the colorway caught the attention of many women. For the jersey, they were the same, teal with purple on them. This includes having a few large pinstripes that we’re actually a mix of purple, green, and white pinstripes.
Too bad the Hornets could not find championship success in the 90s. Still, to be the champion of sports jackets isn’t a terrible second place.
3. Toronto Raptors (1995-1999): Purple With Black And White Pinstripes
The purple dinosaur logo jerseys the Toronto Raptors wore when they entered the NBA are still talked about to this day. This jersey showcased bold colors, which captured the spirit of the 1990s and became an instant hit.
The logo of the Raptor, which showcased a full dinosaur dribbling a ball, is so iconic that it beat out a few other team jerseys that showcased large animals on it. This includes the Milwaukee Bucks jerseys from the mid-90s and the Atlanta Hawks jerseys from the mid-90s.
Those jerseys are great, but for our list, if we can only pick one large animal jersey, it definitely has to be the Raptors jersey. The team may not have been initially good, but in the 1998-99 season, Toronto drafted Vince Carter, and he brought some excitement to the city.
Witnessing Carter soar through the air, dunking the ball with authority in those Raptors’ purple jerseys, truly is bliss. Oh, did we mention those Raptors purple jerseys also had a few black and white pinstripes on them?
Of course, they did. It was the 90s, baby.
2. Chicago Bulls (1995-1997): Black With Red Pinstripes
The Chicago Bulls are most known for their trusted red road jerseys. These just might be the greatest jerseys in NBA history. They are a simple yet effective jersey.
For our 10 greatest 90s jerseys list, though, we have selected a different Bulls road jersey. This one only lasted for two seasons, from 1995 to 1997.
Yes, we are talking about the famous Bulls black jerseys with the red pinstripes. These jerseys first appeared when the Bulls went 72-10 in the 1995-96 season.
Of course, the Bulls would lose their first two games of the season while wearing the black pinstripe jerseys. But nonetheless, they looked good, and those red pinstripes fit the 90s style perfectly.
The jerseys looked the same as Chicago’s red and white jerseys with the prominent ‘Bulls’ written across the chest, yet the black background with red pinstripes really pops. One key difference is on the shorts, as the Bulls classic diamond with the Bulls symbol on the side of the shorts is missing.
The Bulls logo is there, but the diamond is gone. Still, this isn’t bad, especially when watching Michael Jordan glide for a tongue-wagging slam dunk while wearing these gorgeous jerseys.
1. Orlando Magic (1988-1998): Black With White Pinstripes
At the top of our list is the Orlando Magic’s black pinstripe jersey. This jersey featured a striking combination of pinstripes and stars, worn by Shaquille O’Neal and Penny Hardaway.
The jerseys are so pleasing to the eye, with the white pinstripes overtop the solid black background. On top of the black and white pinstripes are the blue letters and blue trim. This just sets the jersey off even better.
The 90s were dominated by pinstripes, as you already know, and nobody did it better than the Magic. Even the Magic’s blue pinstripe jerseys are incredible, but there’s something about the black jerseys that put Orlando over top of the other nine jerseys on this list.
We hope you enjoyed our blast from the past as we ranked the top 10 best-looking NBA jerseys from the rad 90s. Did you agree with our list? Or is there another classic 90s jersey, like the Vancouver Grizzlies’ iconic debut teal jerseys or the Sacramento Kings’ half-black, half-purple jerseys you’d rather see on this list?
The enduring impact of 90s NBA jerseys on fashion and nostalgia cannot be overstated. These jerseys not only brought a unique style to the court but also became symbols of a memorable era in basketball history. As we celebrate the throwback style of these jerseys, let us continue to cherish and appreciate the lasting legacy they have left behind.
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