The NBA has gone in a confusing direction when it comes to jerseys the last few years. More and more, we’ve seen teams go away from their core identities, in search of fun, new looks they can turn into extra revenue streams. Sometimes they nail the alternative jerseys. Oftentimes they end up with a product just as ugly as it is soulless.

Regardless of style points, the new alternatives hardly ever invoke the same feeling you have seeing your favorite team in a classic jersey you’ve come to love playing against a hated rival in a classic look you’ve come to despise. From the city edition to the statement edition to the standard home and away jerseys now known as the association and icon editions, and the occasional throwbac… er, classic edition on top of all that, there are simply too many jerseys to keep up with.

Which is why it’s so refreshing to see the Minnesota Timberwolves and Philadelphia 76ers throw it back to a time when things were so much simpler — and better looking.

The Sixers and Wolves are bringing back their throwbacks from the days of Allen Iverson and Kevin Garnett for a select few games in 2025-26, and I’m so happy to see it. This takes me back to when jerseys meant something more.

Is there a bit of nostalgia involved in my affinity for these jerseys? Probably. But this also reminds me of a time when jerseys were a lot more creative — and alternatives were simply a different color rather than a whole new look that could be confused with a different team. Those black Wolves jerseys came in teal, but they were the same design. The Sixers had a blue version of their jersey. The look never deviated far from its core.

The same can’t be said about today, as these throwbacks will be added to a mix of about five completely different looks for each team. But for at least a few nights through the season, we’ll get to see these beautiful duds grace the floor of an NBA game again and I can’t wait. We can only hope more teams follow suit.

Shootaround

This was Layup Lines, For the Win’s basketball newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.