"Oh, I'm looking forward to that," says guard Raja Bell about wearing the new old uniforms. "I've seen them, and they're really nice. It gives me a chance to wear something a little different and give people something. They've got the little Jazz note on the front.

"And I think we get a chance to wear some cool socks with the stripes. It will be fun.

"Better if we get a win that night, though," added Bell.

He has about 10 of his own retro jerseys in football, basketball and baseball. "They're a very fun thing to wear, although sometimes it's hard to wear jerseys of people who are playing against you every night," he says. "It gives you an opportunity to wear something that isn't in circulation, and some of the older ones are cooler looking than some of the new ones anyway.

"Everything is retro now. All the retro suits are back. People are going with the vintage look, so the jerseys are just another part of it."

While Stevenson and Williams stick with jerseys of people they admire, Bell buys for the look. "My only sentimental one is (quarterback) Warren Moon. He's my favorite. The rest of them are just for color," he says.

Says Williams: "I buy them for the person. My prize is an Alabama, Joe Namath. I love that one."

Williams came across it a few weeks ago. A man was selling it at the Jazz's Los Angeles hotel. Williams played the last two seasons at Alabama before declaring for last April's NBA Draft. He was picked in the second round by Utah.

"I never thought in my life I'd get that (Namath)," Williams says. "I called my old teammate in Alabama. He was ecstatic. He wanted me to send it to him, and I said, 'No.'

"I take pride in them. I just don't buy anybody's," Williams says. "I go with (Dan) Marino, Willie Stargell — guys that made a mark in their game.

"I've got to know who I'm wearing. Some guys have jerseys, they don't even know who's on the back. They just like the color or style or something like that."

Says Stevenson: "Everybody has different reasons. Some people buy them for colors. Some people buy them because of the particular player. And some people just like jerseys.

"The appeal is just having a jersey that somebody wore a long time ago that you probably couldn't get. And when people see them, a lot of older people remember the player, and it just brings back some memories when you have it on."

Value is an individual taste. It depends on whose it is, the color, team and how well it's made. Some have the names and trim stitched on, others are just printed. Some are stylized to the point of having the lettering and trim in "Gucci" plaid.