Bill Walton won two consecutive NCAA Championships at UCLA. (Courtesy of ncaa.com)
A quarter-length sleeve shirt and knee-length padded pants – imagine Lebron James barreling down the lane in that. In the early 1900s, that was the appropriate attire. After compiling this list of NCAA basketball throwback jerseys and realizing I saw half of these guys play in my lifetime, I feel old.
10. Marcus Camby – UMass Minutemen
This is the first top 10 list that the town of Amherst will see in a long time. The “U” and the “Mass” across the chest are in different fonts – classic Amherst.
9. Len Bias – Maryland Terrapins
This is the last jersey to be worn by perhaps the best player to never play at the professional level. The standard red and white is okay, but the alternate red and yellow is other-worldly.
8. Allen Iverson – Georgetown Hoyas
The Georgetown gray and blue is simultaneously plain and busy. Iverson balled on the Big East while looking like a 12-year-old. This jersey makes for a perfect stocking stuffer, as it is half the size of your standard stocking (do-rag sold separately).
7. Steve Nash – Santa Clara Broncos
Here is a simple, but unique, jersey. Until recently I thought a white T-shirt was included with purchase. I saw somebody rocking this on Clearwater Beach and hugged them without initiating any conversation – top five decision I have ever made.
6. Christian Laettner – Duke Blue Devils
This might be the most purchased jersey that was bought with the intention to be burned. With that being said, the classic, clean Duke jersey is a staple in any jersey collection.
5. Michael Jordan – North Carolina Tar Heels
This would be higher if you could go one week without seeing somebody wearing this.
4. Ervin “Magic” Johnson – Michigan State Spartans
A frequent selection among NBA fans, but Johnson revolutionized the point guard position. You cannot forget about the cursive “State” across the chest, either.
3. Bill Walton – UCLA Bruins
There might not be a better colorway in sports than the UCLA gold and blue, and there definitely is not a better model for them than Bill Walton. If you accompany that with the headband, locks and pasty white legs, it is a thing of beauty.
2. Larry Bird – Indiana State Sycamores
Often mistaken for a Tar Heel jersey from behind, this rarity is a gem. The first “I” in “Indiana” is shaped like the state of Indiana. It is not the most aesthetically pleasing jersey, but it screams old-school.
1. Dennis Rodman – Southeastern Oklahoma State Savage Storm
The small Division II school that introduced Dennis Rodman to the world has the best nickname in college sports: “Savages.” The word is displayed across the chest of the jersey. If there was one person on this Earth that embodied a “Savage,” it is Rodman. The NBA’s most tenacious rebounder had over 2,800 career fouls and certainly played his career like a savage.
No Pete Maravich????
(Wow…)