It was 1946 when the NBA or back then known as the BAA (Basketball Association of America) was formed. 3 years later the BAA merged with the NBL (National Basketball League) and thus the NBA was born. At first, there were only 11 teams with 4 of them being lost even before the season began in 1946. Since then more and more teams have joined the NBA with there being 21 new teams entering the NBA from 1966 to 2004.
It was only two years after the NBA was formed that the Lakers were founded. Back then they were called the Minneapolis Lakers and being based in the Great Lakes region the name suited them well. It wasn’t until 1960 that the Lakers we know today became reality. Throughout their 70 year-long history, the LA Lakers have won 17 championships 5 of them being under the Minneapolis Lakers name.
Types of Lakers Jerseys
Nike Authentic
A Nike authentic jersey is the best version a fan can get of the jersey being worn by a player. If you’re a serious fan then the Nike authentic is for you. A Nike authentic NBA Lakers jersey has embroidered graphics and the exact same design as the jersey a player wears on the court.
Nike Swingman
The Nike swingman is the jersey to get if you want a more affordable version of the authentic Nike Lakers jersey. Because of that, Nike swingman jerseys do not have embroidered graphics as they are essentially replica Lakers jerseys. They do look similar to the authentic jerseys they just don’t have the premium finishes.
Fanatics Fast Break
If you don’t want to go with the Nike version of an authentic jersey but still want a good replica of it go for a fanatics fast break Lakers jersey. These types of Lakers jerseys are new to the scene as they first launched in 2017 and they are more affordable than the Nike jerseys.
Mitchell & Ness Authentic
If you are interested in getting a throwback Lakers jersey but want to avoid the Nike logo for some reason go for the a Mitchell & Ness authentic NBA Lakers jersey. Why? Because they look premium and have embroidered graphics too. Nike doesn’t make these kinds of Lakers jerseys.
Mitchell & Ness Swingman
The swingman version of a Mitchell & Ness Lakers jersey is a more affordable version of the authentic one. They are still throwback jerseys and unlike the swingman version of the Nike jerseys, they do come with embroidered graphics. They are just not as high quality as the ones on a Mitchell & Ness authentic Lakers jersey.
Types of NBA Jerseys
Association
These jerseys are the new home jerseys that once had to be in white. Home jerseys were all with a white base colour except for the Lakers gold home jersey. This changed when Nike became the sponsor for all NBA jerseys and they changed the rule that came with home jerseys and now teams decide which colour jersey to wear at home. Nike rebranded the “Home Whites” as “Association” jerseys.
Icon
Nike did a lot of rebranding and now the once known “Road” jerseys are called Icon jerseys. These jerseys are made in the team’s primary colour. But nowadays some teams decided that their Icon jerseys were to be used as their home jerseys.
Statement
The Alternate jerseys we all knew before the start of the 2017-2-18 season are now called Statement jerseys. These jerseys are more of expressive apparel rather than a team standard. They can be worn by the teams but they are mostly made for new, bold designs to be represented.
City
A city jersey is one that celebrates the city or town from which the team is. They are the newest addition to the NBA jersey lineup and teams have taken the advantage of these jerseys making them represent celebrities and not just cities/ towns.
Christmas Day
Before Nike took over as the official league provider they have stopped producing Christmas day jerseys. Before that Adidas kept the tradition of making Christmas Jerseys alive. These jerseys were worn by teams that played on Christmas day.
Earned
Nike has however introduced a new type of jerseys called Earned. These are awarded by Nike to the 8 teams that make the playoffs in each conference in the season before. Although Nike managed to produce a really popular Earned jersey, they are not consistent in the production of these jerseys as they can be seen one season and then get forgotten about in the next.
Conclusion
Like all Lakers fans, you definitely want something to show your support for the team. While it seems like it can be difficult to choose the right type of LA Lakers NBA jersey at the end of the day it is up to your whether you want to collect them or just enjoy watching your favourite team in one.
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