I Love Jerseys

I don't know what it is about a really awesome NBA jersey that I just love, but I just love them. Redundant anyone?

My friend James really got me started. He has a collection that is not to be believed. In its hay day, I believe it numbered over 60! I remember just out of high school he showed me his closet one time. It was filled wall to wall with jerseys.

When my love affair with jerseys began, my devotion had switched to the next 'Team of the Future'. This team, of course, the Los Angeles Clippers. In 2003, when they had the starting line up of:

PG - Andre Miller #24
SG - Quentin Richardson #3
SF - Darius Miles #21
PF - Elton Brand #42
C - Michael Olowokandi #34 (I think)

...they were SO fun to watch. As I experienced the Blazers implode on themselves for the next 4 years, I needed a team to love. And love them, I did. The most I've ever paid for a game was $119 to sit 4 rows back behind the Clipper bench at the Rose Garden. It was amazing. I went low key to that one, I only had my Clip t-shirt for that one. All other times the Clip Joint came to town, I was rocking one of my many Clip jerseys.

I don't know why I felt compelled to catalog my many jerseys here, but gosh darn it, I'm gonna.

Team Name
Player, number, classification, brand, how I got it

Portland Trail Blazers
Rudy Fernandez #5, red road alternate, Adidas Swingman, blazers.com [added 12/10]
Brandon Roy #7, red road alternate, Adidas Swingman, eBay
Rasheed Wallace #30, throwback black road alternate, Nike Swingman, purchased at Rose Garden
Ruben Patterson #21, authentic road black, Nike, eBay (it was only $9, what is normally a $179 jersey!)
Brian Grant #44, black road, Champion, eBay
Dale Davis #34, black road, Champion, eBay

Los Angeles Clippers
Elton Brand #42, authentic road red, Reebok, eBay
Elton Brand #42, road red, Nike Swingman, eBay
Lamar Odom #7, road red, Nike Swingman, eBay
Lamar Odom #7, white home, Nike Swingman, eBay
Andre Miller #24, road red, Nike Swingman, eBay
Darius Miles #21, road red, Nike Swingman, eBay
Quentin Richardson #3, throwback home white, Nike Swingman, Christmas present (great find, Uncle Doug!)

Boston Celtics
Larry Bird #33, home white Hardwood Classics, Mitchell & Ness, eBay
Pete Maravich #44, home white Hardwood Classics, Mitchell & Ness, eBay

Utah Jazz
Adrian Dantley #4, road green Hardwood Classics, Mitchell & Ness, eBay

Milwaukee Bucks
Sidney Moncrief #4, road dark green Hardwood Classics, Mitchell & Ness, eBay

Washington Bullets
Chris Webber #2, road red, Champion, eBay

Terms:
authentic - an exact replica of what the players wear on the court
Hardwood Classics - a series of jerseys put out by the NBA distributed by a few different companies, the main being Mitchell & Ness. The M&N authentic Hardwood Classics jerseys are produced in very small numbers and are very expensive (upwards of $400 a piece from Mitchell & Ness!)
Swingman - a type of jersey. Swingman jerseys have the letters and logos sewn on instead of screen printed. While it's not the same material as authentic jerseys, it gives a much more authentic appearance at a fraction of the price. Swingman jerseys are also cut the same as authentic jerseys. First made by Nike, then Reebok, now, currently Adidas.

In short, I love me some jerseys. I hope, by the end of this season, to have Swingman jerseys for the rest of my Blazers (Oden, Aldridge, Webster, Fernandez, Pryzbilla, Outlaw). I think Rudy's jersey will be next in the arsenal.