NBA Jerseys – Unseld is Back!

Fans’ love-hate relationship with NBA jerseys can be the reason for top selling jerseys to fall off the charts – like Kobe Bryant’s #8 Lakers jersey. Conversely, a little known NBA jersey from the late 70’s can soar to the #1 position.

That’s exactly what happened to Wes Unseld – or more specifically, his jersey. Unseld played for the Washington Bullets, circa 1978, and led them to an NBA title. His jersey, Number 41, was retired 23 years ago.

But now, his jersey has become all the rage with the pop culture set. Unseld’s NBA jersey, with the red, white and blue stripes, can be seen on hip-hop icons and sports superstars alike. How did this happen?

It started with a television appearance by hip-hop impresario, Sean “P. Diddy” Combs. He sported a No. 41 Wes Unseld NBA jersey on a popular NBC talk show. Instant fashion frenzy!

 LeBron James played a supporting role. In his last year of high school, James was declared ineligible because he accepted two retro jerseys from a local retailer. One was an Unseld jersey.

Unseld’s NBA jersey is part of the Harwood Classics collection made by Mitchell & Ness, the premier retro jersey producer. The meticulous workmanship on this jersey reflects custom dyed strips, twill numerals and small blue hands at the top of the “L”s.

This explains the jersey’s substantial retail price -- $420.