Basketball Jerseys

I like collecting basketball jerseys not just for hanging in the closet or some sort of shrine, but also for playing basketball. Before, I used to wear old white or sleeveless warm up shirts for playing but then I decided to move to wearing basketball jerseys. They're more comfortable, and if you buy the nice ones, the sweat evaporates much quicker than cotton shirts.

In the NBA Store there are more or less 3 kinds of jerseys: authentic, swingman, and replica. The authentic sells for about $150.00 and is the kind (they say) that the pro ball players wear. The swingman goes for around $75-85 and is the kind I like, with the little air holes; it's excellent for playing basketball. The replica is around $50-70 and is NOT so nice for playing basketball because the fabric doesn't really let air in or out. It's meant to be worn during the NBA games by fans who just sit down at the stands inside the airconditioned arena.

Anyway, I wanted a Dwyane Wade swingman jersey. The player's a good guy, and a budding superstar, and has got real talent AND more importantly, wears my lucky number (3). I only have the black replica, which I said is not so nice to wear while playing.

What's holding me back however is the fact that a lot of people already have these Wade jerseys (different color though). I can count three people I've seen, including one bald and hairy guy who wore it while he went to the grocery in Unimart. So that was basically it for me and the Wade jersey.

Right now, I'm setting my sights on a Chris Paul (my new idol) college jersey (Wake Forest #3). Here's what the Wake Forest black and gold looks like. It's very classy. And even better because there is no fear that Chris Paul might change college teams since he went pro and was drafted by the New Orleans/Oklahoma Hornets. That's also one of the problems with jerseys, when a player gets traded or signs with other teams, your jersey becomes dated already. Buying throwbacks are preferable (Magic Johnson #32, Michael Jordan #23, Oscar Robertson #1 and other retired players). Anyone going to Wake Forest? Anyone? Anyone?