• Some of the uniforms basketball players wear might seem like a form of cruel and unusual punishment.
• The 1970’s produced some of the most outrageous uniforms ever worn on a basketball court.

Here, at Electro-Mech, we not only offer electronic basketball scoreboards but also information on all things sports- basketball included. We cover everything from recent scandals to history of the game. For now, we’ll focus on some ridiculous uniforms.

Throughout the years, there have definitely been a few entries in the category of basketball uniform design that have left most fans scratching their head. Contrary to popular belief, not all of these teams played in the ABA during the 1970’s, although a few most certainly did. There have been plenty of NBA uniforms over the years that were equally outrageous.

One of the most outrageous uniforms in recent memory was those worn by the Seattle Supersonics during the 1980’s. The 80’s is a decade that will forever be linked with some unique fashion styles. Case in point would be the unfathomable popularity of parachute pants and sequined gloves worn on one hand only. The Supersonics put their stamp on the decade by designing green uniforms with yellow and white trim and a rather large silhouette of the city’s skyline as their logo. The logo design and size were pretty outrageous, but the color scheme resembled that of a John Deere tractor.

The Oregon Ducks are a college basketball team with some pretty unique uniform designs. The ducks wear a black jersey with black numbers and black lettering. This was probably designed as an intimidating uniform but it just makes viewing the player’s names quite difficult. There is no problem, however, viewing the yellow sneakers that are part of the uniform. There must be something with the Pacific Northwest and the color yellow.

When it comes to outrageous uniforms, the ABA has all other leagues beat by a wide margin. Two teams in particular, the New Jersey Nets and Indiana Pacers, come to mind when thinking of some pretty wacky uniforms. The Nets chose to go with a basketball uniform design that mimicked the colors and styling of the American flag by incorporating a white jersey with red piping and white stars on a blue background. The Pacers went with a white or blue jersey with yellow and either blue or white piping. Maybe I’m prejudiced but I don’t see how the color yellow works with any basketball uniform. The color gold yes, but the color yellow, no.

The history of basketball uniforms has undergone some pretty radical changes throughout the decades. The early years saw some pretty high cut shorts and tight fitting tops complemented by the ever popular Converse Chuck Taylor sneakers. As the years grew, so did the length of the shorts worn by players until finally reaching the point we are at today. Big baggy shorts down past the players knee with tighter fitting jersey tops. And of course, there are hundreds of different sneaker styles to choose from as well.

Let’s face it there have been some pretty outrageous uniform designs over the years all in an effort to improve a team’s image and marketability. However, history has shown that some of these basketball uniform designs were better off left on the drawing board.