No matter the sport – whether it is baseball, basketball, football or even hockey, fans WILL insist that their team’s jersey is the best in the entire world. Of course, it is entirely natural to be passionate about our favourite sport teams and players. But often that means that subjectivity flies right out of the window. That is why we have decided to end the debate once and for all in today’s article by listing the best sports jerseys of all time!
The sports world is (and always has been) heavily polluted with a plethora of multi-coloured threads in every design, pattern and colour combination possible. Therefore, there are not many no-noes when it comes to these unique combinations. After all, these jerseys are meant to symbolise whatever it is that the team represents. It is, for the most part, a giant ‘free-for-all’. So how does one choose ‘the best’?
Well, we cannot say for sure. In truth, our only real consideration here is which sports jerseys have really stood the test of time in our hearts and memories. Stay tuned as we list our top picks for the best sports jerseys of all time spanning the MBA, NFL, NHL and NBA. Aren’t you even a little curious?
In no specific order, here we go…
The Best Sports Jerseys of All Time!
- The Pinstripe Jerseys of the New York Yankees
Whether you love or hate it, you probably would recognise this pinstriped masterpiece. Through the years, legends from Babe Ruth to Joe DiMaggio have adorned this classic black and white baseball uniform.
It appears to be the jersey of baseball royalty with its unmistakable overlapping “NY” on the chest, sometimes layered over the clean black long sleeve turtleneck. Together with the matching pants and the “NY” baseball cap? The New York Yankees are the gold standard for baseball uniforms.
Now, is it the most creative jersey out there? No. But these jerseys reek of class and tradition while effortlessly striking anxiety in the hearts of their opponents and love in the hearts of their die-hard fans.
You must admit, the Yankees’ jersey is one of the best in the entire world.
Check out the MLB shop on fanatics.com in case you are one of the rare persons who have not yet seen this jersey, or if you are simply interested in getting your hands on a replica of one of the beauties.
- The Black Jerseys of the Oakland Raiders
Another age-old beauty, the jerseys of the Oakland Raiders have remained largely unchanged over the years. The classic black and gold became the classic black and silver in 1962, and we have seen very little change since. All fans seem to say the same thing when it comes to these colours, that black and silver, it has never changed, and it never will.
They are, of course, right for the most part as this uniform seems to have endured the test of time, only changing a few subtleties over the years. The Raiders have become synonymous with this colour scheme.
The greatness of these jerseys lay not only in their timeless endurance, but also in who has been seen in them. Football superstars like Geroge Blanda, Howie Long, Marcus Allen, Time Brown and Bo Jackson wore these iconic jerseys when they led the team to THREE Super Bowl victories. (There is also the huge controversy and scandal that follows the infamous Raiders owner, Al Davis- but that is an entirely different story.)
There is no doubt that the Raiders jerseys carry a time-tested legacy amongst sports uniforms. Check them out on the NFL shop on Fanatics.com.
- The Ultimate Green Envy Jerseys of the Boston Celtics
One of the most iconic sports teams in history, the Boston Celtics hold an impressive 17 NBA championships under their belt (8 of which were won in a row!). The only thing more famous than the name of this team is their jersey.
This green and white jersey has been the most consistent in basketball history and can today be recognised by almost anyone from almost any generation. They have in recent years modernised their away jerseys and have a new home jersey, but they have still stuck to their roots with the good ol’ green and white being the prominent feature of these jerseys.
And as we have seen with the previous two jerseys, what truly makes this jersey so iconic is the fact that it has stood the test of time. These green jerseys have also seen the likes of John Havlicek, Paul Pierce, Larry Bird and Bill Russel who are all legends in the basketball world.
Maybe another thing that adds to the appeal of keeping such a consistent sports jersey is that each new player that puts on the jersey can feel a tremendous amount of pride knowing they are worthy of wearing one of the best sports jerseys of all time. Check it out on the Boston Celtics online store.
Afterall, it is tradition.
- The Tasteful & Timeless Jersey of the Chicago Blackhawks
If you are Canadian (or outright irrational) then you probably think that hockey jerseys are the best of the best of all sport uniforms. But the rest of us know that hockey uniforms can be bulky and all over the place. However, the Chicago Blackhawks have somehow gotten away with falling into the category of having one of the best sports jerseys of all time.
As one of the six original NHL teams, they are a huge part of America’s hockey history and hold an impressive four championships under their belts. But apart from their exceptional talent, they have exceptional style.
Introduced in 1926, the Chicago Blackhawks begun their official existence wearing black and white jerseys with the famous Blackhawks logo on the chest (the side profile of the Native American figure head wearing four feathers in their hair). The jersey also featured horizontal stripes on the bottom and top of the shirt, and more stripes on the sleeves.
Since then, this style has remained practically the same with the biggest change seen in 1934 (with the introduction of red stripes on the jerseys) which was followed by several tweaks until eventually the design was changed in 1955 to something very similar to that which we still see today (red all over the jersey), the only exception being minor changes in pattern and colour.
Nowadays, these jerseys are popularly seen in red, black, white and tan but always with the same logo on the chest. This consistency has made this jersey famous and incredibly recognisable. In fact, recently the Blackhawks came out with their “reverse retro” jerseys which speaks to the timeless and tasteful nature of this jersey’s design. You can see or buy your very own Chicago Blackhawks jersey on the NHL shop.
- Greatest-Ever Jersey in NFL History of the Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers won the vote from NFL fans and now officially hold the title of the “Greatest Uniforms in NFL History” after a tournament was held on NFL.com. These all-black jerseys with powder blue (again with the blue!) details and panther logo outranked other legendary team jerseys from the likes of the Cincinnati Bengals, Pittsburgh Steelers and Dallas Cowboys.
Some found this win ironic as the team had faced a huge loss to the Broncos the year before while wearing these same jerseys. Nonetheless, the Panthers are a legendary team (even if they do not have a ton of history).
First established in 1993, this team is relatively young. But despite its age, this team has managed to achieve an impressive two conference titles, six division championships and seven playoff appearances.
In respect of their jerseys, they have changed very little since they were first established and is practically the same uniform that was introduced with the team over 20 years ago (part from minor changes). Perhaps one of the most major changes to the jersey happened when the jersey changed from white to black.
As a part of its ‘best in NFL history’ uniform, the black and blue jersey was paired with black pants and socks with “scratch mark” details. But apart from these quirky and unique details, the franchise is yet to see a total uniform redesign.
Despite this team having a lot less history than the others on this list, they have been able to win the hearts of fans and have forged ahead, ultimately winning in the test against time. Therefore, this jersey is also one of the best sports jerseys of all time.
You can find this jersey on the NFLshop.com if you are interested in buying your own ‘best of all time’ jersey or are simply curious about what all the fuss is about.
Now To Sum It All Up…
In this article, we decided to narrow down the criteria for deciding what makes “the best sports jerseys of all time” the best. We saw that what truly makes a jersey the best is its ability to withstand time itself. To remain beloved by fans and feared by opponents alike, throughout the generations.
Ultimately, we decided on what, in our opinion, is five of these best jerseys of all time. Our list included the likes of the New York Yankees’ classic pinstripe jersey, the Oakland Raiders black and silver jersey, the Boston Celtics green envy jersey, the Chicago Blackhawks timeless jersey and finally, the black and blue “greatest in NFL history” jersey of the Carolina Panthers.
There are, of course, a ton of memorable jerseys, these were just a few of our favourites. Do you agree with our list?