My First NBA Jersey

The only basketball jersey I own is folded up, clean as new-like, on a dark shelf I cannot reach.

Fitting, because it is in the same type of place (and condition) as when it entered my life, back in 1997, high up in the closed closet in a box in my parent’s room a week before Christmas (mom and dad, I might know that for a fact). And fitting, finally, probably, because I am tall enough to wear it now.

I never wear it, but I am the proud owner of one purple, dinosaur-adorned, Damon Stoudamire jersey. Yes, this is the one. I was pushing 12 when I unwrapped it.

That came to mind when I saw the new Bucks jerseys for the first time. And then also: If I could have any Bucks jersey, what would it be?

A couple rules. I have broken this into two lists. The first comprises the top three new jerseys I want. The next list includes all old Bucks jerseys. For this purpose, I only considered Bucks jerseys, so that means the Michael Redd Team USA jersey was not eligible, the Redd 2004 All-Star jersey was not eligible, and so on. Also, for the old jerseys, I picked 10 different versions of Bucks jerseys. Because otherwise the green-on-white (and white-on-green) versions from 1986 to 1993 would have taken over things.

First, I really like the new uniforms. That sounds like something I am supposed to say here, but if you happened to have read my All-Time Bucks Jersey Rankings story from last year, you would know that I am heavy into the greens and whites and side stripes. Anyway, Giannis is my favorite player on the team right now (very not original, though honest), and I give the very slight edge to the green, “Milwaukee” away version.

If I were to include these new jerseys in the All-Time Bucks Jersey Rankings, they would both be in the top five.

Thirteen is my favorite number to wear.

This is my favorite Bucks jersey (the home whites just a touch ahead of the road greens), worn from 1986 (my birth-year, in fact) to 1993. The season it debuted, 1986-87, happened also to be the rookie season of Skiles. He played 13 games for the Bucks that year, his only season with the team (until he returned as the head coach of the Bucks and Sardonic Brusqueness in 2008-09). I could not find a photo of Skiles wearing it.

Fact of fun: In 1993, the NBA invited Hodges to take part in the Three Point Contest even though he did not play in the league that year. Also, he led the league in 3-point percentage twice with the Bucks (one of those seasons was split between the San Diego Clippers and the Bucks) and participated in the first eight Three Point Contests, winning three of those (including making an all-time record 19 in a row in 1991).

English went on to make eight straight All-Star appearances (and eventually the Hall of Fame) with the Nuggets. But he started his career with the Bucks, where he played two seasons. This was the second of his two seasons, and the team’s first full season under Don Nelson. Nice basketball jersey number. Charming first name, too. I also could not find a photo of English wearing it.

Cursive is nice here. The Bucks should have won their second championship in 1973-74 (they had the best record in the league and the best offense and second-best defense overall), but they fell in seven games to the Celtics. Though not in his prime, Robertson was quite great nonetheless.

Johnson was the best player on this 60-win team, the fourth and last Bucks team to win 60 in a season. Few players in franchise history had a better three-year stretch than Johnson from 1978 to 1981. He had a PER of 23.9 in his second season (before PER existed). Very good player. Very good jersey.

Seems just right.

This was the final season that the team wore this particular version, before switching to a similar purple road uniform the next season through 2005-06. Not even close to my favorite Bucks jersey based on pure aesthetics, but this was also the best Bucks season of my life, and the best Bucks player of my life. So far and so far.

This is not his announcer jersey. (He was really good at basketball.)

I like the Buck on the front of these shorts. Also, the Bucks won the championship this season and Dandridge was integral to that.

These uniforms are very 1997 and a touch absurd, but one of the good types of absurd (of which there are many). Could put this next to that Stoudamire jersey.