NBA fans are in for a treat as Commissioner Adam Silver announced that the league will see the return of the classic East vs. West format. Along with that is the return of our beloved East and West jerseys in the 2024 NBA All-Star game. But, let’s take a look back at memory lane first and rank the top 5 best East vs West jerseys of all time.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announces the return of the classic East vs. West format for the 2024 NBA All-Star Game. pic.twitter.com/ingdASk5GJ
— NBA (@NBA) October 25, 2023
5. 1991 NBA All-Star (Charlotte)
Nothing screams “retro” more than the 1991 All-Star jersey. From 1986 to 1990, the NBA All-Star jersey design was somehow repetitive. It was the same red and white uniforms every year. But, in 1991, the NBA created a new design that became an instant classic. Honestly, they should bring these back very soon.
4. 1997-2002 Team Jerseys
From 1997 up until 2002, the league decided to change it up a bit. Instead of the East and West uniforms fans were used to, All-Stars, at the time, wore their own team jerseys instead. Truly, it was an era where All-Star games were still extremely competitive.
Stars like Allen Iverson, Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, and Vince Carter donned their very own uniforms against the best in the league.
3. 2003 NBA All-Star (Atlanta)
2003 marked the passing of the torch between two of the greatest players in the world. In 2003, in Atlanta, young Kobe Bryant and a retiring Michael Jordan had an epic interaction during the All-Star game.
It was the perfect scenario for “teacher and student”. In this picture, MJ was the teacher while Kobe was the student. Eventually, the Black Mamba surpassed expectations and became an all-time great. 2003 was also the first time that the NBA brought back East and West jerseys since 1996. It was a fresh start but was capped off with a new beginning.
2. 1996 NBA All-Star (San Antonio)
1996 was a very important year for NBA and Chicago Bulls fans. This will be the first season after Michael Jordan’s first full season after coming out of his first retirement. Knowing MJ, his Airness will always want to win. Despite Orlando Magic superstar center Shaquille O’Neal’s impressive performance, MJ got away with the All-Star game MVP after putting up 20 points to lead the East to victory.
However, this would also be the year that the NBA tried something new with the jersey design. Well, it was 1995 but the 1996 version was far better. It features a funky cyan-colored cartoonish jersey that seemed very similar to the Detroit Pistons and Vancouver Grizzlies iconic jerseys. This uniform will always belong to the hearts of many.
1. 2016 NBA All-Star (Toronto)
2016 may have been the wildest year in NBA history. Kobe Bryant finally retires but graces his fans one last time in the All-Star game in Toronto. We also witnessed an epic slam dunk contest battle between Aaron Gordon and Zach LaVine. The Golden State Warriors went on to beat the 1995-1996 Chicago Bulls record of 72 wins after GSW secured 73 victories. But, the biggest event during that year was the Cleveland Cavaliers’ 3-1 comeback in the NBA finals against the Warriors. Truly, this isn’t the best-designed All-Star jersey, but with how great of a year it was, the 2016 All-Star uniform will go down as a historic memorabilia.
