A Stitch in Time

“Shake, Rattle and Roll” on March 26
Win a $1,000 cash prize by performing your best retro dance moves on the Bulls floor in the History Channel “Shake, Rattle and Roll” brought to you by Comcast.

On Friday, March 26th, Bulls fans are invited to dress in their grooviest retro outfits from the 70s and 80s as part of our Hardwood Classics night vs. the Milwaukee Bucks. Costumed guests may register that evening only in the 100 Level concourse from 6:00 p.m. until tip-off. Eight lucky fans will be drawn at random to compete in the halftime dance contest for a grand prize of $1,000.

Click here now to buy your tickets, then get out your bellbottoms, platform shoes and leisure suits and be a part of the History Channel “Shake, Rattle and Roll” brought to you by Comcast on March 26th!

March 8, 2004 -- When the Chicago Bulls met the Indiana Pacers on the court of the United Center on February 10, 2004, you could easily see that Pistol Pete was there. And Dr. J, Michael Jordan and Larry Bird. And even the late, great Wilt Chamberlain. Wait a minute. Pistol Pete? Wilt?

No, this Windy City roundball contest between the Bulls and the Pacers wasn’t some kind of fantasy match between great basketball titans, alive and dead. But they were there—in spirit and on the backs of the players, who paid homage to their favorite Hall-of-Famers by sporting vintage replica jerseys as part of the NBA’s continuous Hardwood Classic nights.

For the first time in its history, the Bulls sported red road jerseys at home to celebrate 38 years of Windy City professional basketball. The Chicago script uniforms, originally worn by the team from 1973 to 1985, were donned three times prior to its Chicago debut (Tuesday, January 27 at the Los Angeles Clippers, Friday, January 30 at the Golden State Warriors, and on Wednesday, February 4 at the Utah Jazz), and will be worn a second time at the United Center on Friday, March 26, when the Bulls and the arch rival Milwaukee Bucks tip-off for a final meeting this season.

“It’s a resurrection of the history of the NBA,” says Sal LaRocca, NBA senior vice president for global merchandising. The NBA Hardwood Classics line starts with the inaugural season (1946-47) and extends through the NBA/ABA merger in 1976, to the 1996-97 season. (Allen Iverson’s 1996-97 Philadelphia 76ers rookie jersey is currently one of the hottest tickets.)

Inspiration for the jerseys began with bolts of discarded wool flannel and a landlord’s collection of nearly two million magazines that spanned a century and included every published Sports Illustrated and Basketball Digest. The collection was housed above Peter Capolino’s small sporting-goods store in Philadelphia. It was 1989, and Capolino was almost broke. Then desperation led to innovation.

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After the old-school baseball jerseys proved to be a success, the NBA Hardwood Classics line was launched in 1999. The basketball jerseys, which range from $185-$400, have become a huge seller, according to Capolino, president of Mitchell and Ness, the company that jointly produces the line with the NBA. Sales have tripled in the past year alone. Before a new jersey arrives in stores, it is carefully researched—a process that can take several months—so that every detail is authentic, from the cut to the logo.

Basketball fans aren’t the only customers. Vintage is hip to entertainers like Sean “P. Diddy” Combs, Jay-Z, Ja Rule, Fabolous, Will Smith and Jermaine Dupree, who are often spotted wearing their favorite team’s jerseys. P.Diddy, who owns between 40 and 50 jerseys, is partial to a ’70s Hal Greer Sixers shirt.

Current NBA players are also avid collectors. The jerseys, LaRocca notes, can be more than a fashion statement. “[They’re] a great bridge between today’s players and the players who’ve provided the NBA with its rich history.”

Shaquille O’Neal collects the famous centers of the NBA; he already has Bill Russell’s and Wilt Chamberlain’s jerseys and recently added Patrick Ewing’s. Former Bulls forward Jalen Rose has a replica of his dad’s jersey from 1972, when his father, Jimmy Walker, played for the Detroit Pistons. Kobe Bryant owns the Sixers jersey worn by his father, Joe "Jelly Bean" Bryant.

“You can see Kobe walking around in a No. 23,” says Capolino, “and everybody thinks it’s Michael Jordan’s number but it’s not—it’s his dad’s.”

For Jason Kidd, the red-hot Nets guard, the jerseys represent a legacy.

“I have Pistol Pete’s jersey when he was with the Atlanta Hawks. I have Magic Johnson’s jersey, Larry Bird’s, Willis Reed’s. I have Wilt’s jersey from Philly …I don’t wear them. I frame them all. My mission is to get the 50 Greatest [Players in NBA History]. And I’m close.”

If the past is any guide for the future, the NBA Hardwood Classics line will have plenty of legendary players for the next generation of jerseys. And NBA fans couldn’t be happier.

By Anthony Hyde