The Evolution of Basketball Uniforms

From a fashion perspective, the history of athletic apparel is quite fascinating. The functionality of some athletic uniforms seems simply impossible, while others just look incredibly silly. The evolution of basketball team uniforms will make you laugh, cringe, and thank the sports fashion gods that you are no longer expected to run, jump, and dunk while sweating profusely into a heavy wool jersey.

Basketball Team Uniforms Through the Ages

• • Basketball began to develop as a sport in 1891, but men just played in their street clothes. There was not yet a designated style of athletic or team apparel.

• • In the early 1900’s, a uniform emerged after professional designers created an outfit of woolen tees and long shorts that ended just below the knee.

• • By the year 1920, players were finding that long, tight shorts hindered their ability to play well. As a result, early basketball associations conceived of a new design that would become popular in the next decade: shorter shorts and a loose tee.

• • In the mid-1930’s, shorts became much shorter and shirts became longer. The uniform included buttons on the groin to keep the shirt from lifting up and becoming untucked. Looking back now, the uniform appears quite comical as it resembles an infant’s onesie.

• • Finally, in the 1940’s and 50’s, basketball teams ditched the heavy wool in favor of a man-made material with more breathability. This era introduced the polyester-nylon combination similar to what we see in professional sports today. Shorts only became shorter, and shirts lost their sleeves. Uniforms were tighter and shorter than ever before. Though baseball first included numbers on their uniforms back in 1916, basketball teams only began numbering their players in the 1950’s.

• • Short and tight remained popular all throughout the 1960’s and 70’s. Designers who were popularizing these fitting uniforms also introduced the iconic long tube sock that has come to symbolize the style of the times.

• • Everything changed in the 80’s. Michael Jordan revolutionized the basketball team uniform design when he requested loose, relaxed, long shorts. This marked the end of short shorts in basketball.

• The 1990’s hip-hop style made its way into basketball culture. Rappers sported extremely long, baggy shorts, which then became the norm among professional basketball players.

The Basketball

Basketball team uniforms and apparel were not the only features of the sport to undergo numerous changes. The ball itself changed over time as well. The first basketball players in the late 19th century used a soccer ball. It wasn’t until the early 1900’s that a new ball specifically designed for the sport was produced. Basketballs with a consistent size and shape did not exist until 1942. Today, the standard size of a professional league basketball is 29.5 inches in circumference.

Basketball is a relatively young sport in comparison to other popular athletic games. Lacrosse is said to have originated as early as 1100 AD, and the first baseball game was played in 1846. Yet basketball has seen many changes, shifting each decade as American culture evolves.