Old-style jerseys top the charts for hoop fans

ATLANTA — Michael Martin wanted to do some "representin' " while looking for All-Star game tickets Friday, so he slipped into a San Antonio Spurs jersey from the 1970s.

"We need to bring back the tradition," said Martin, wearing a replica of James Silas' No. 13 shirt on a frigid day outside Philips Arena. "These are the people who started it. We need to show them respect."

Never mind that Martin is only 21, which means he was born about the same time Silas' career was ending.

Whether it's respect or just a love of garish colors, fans nationwide are gobbling up the old-style jerseys, a fashion trend that gained even more attention when high school star LeBron James was briefly suspended for accepting two free shirts from that genre.

Last year, baseball teams went retro for a week. That sparked interest in such uniforms as the Houston Astros' get-up from the 1970s and '80s, the ugly ones with the orange-tinted color bar.

But no sport has taken to the good ol' days like basketball. The hip-hop generation has fallen in love with such jerseys as "Pistol Pete" Maravich's No. 44 shirt when he played for the Atlanta Hawks in the 1970s.

"I love it," said 26-year-old Roy Frazier of Chicago, who already was wearing a New York Knicks jersey (Walt Frazier, No. 10) when he bought a Maravich shirt (cost: $250) at the NBA's interactive fan exhibit. "Everybody's wearing 'em. They're what's happening."

Some of the retro buffs couldn't care less about the history on their shoulders: They just want to look old school — or keep up with their friend down the block.

"I had a kid looking at a Boston Celtics jersey and he asked me, 'Who's this guy?' It was Larry Bird's jersey. I kind of felt old," said 31-year-old Art Bowser, assistant manager of the Mitchell & Ness store in Philadelphia, which has been at the forefront of the retro movement.

So, why does old suddenly feel so new? What's the appeal of Alex English's Nuggets jersey, with its quiltlike pattern depicting the Denver skyline and the Rocky Mountains?

Isiah Thomas, coach of the Eastern Conference All-Stars for Sunday's game, has a simple explanation.

"It goes back to the first principle of fashion," he said. "What's old is new. That's just how it is."

Dominique Wilkins, whose No. 21 Hawks jersey is one of the more popular retro shirts, believes the popularity runs deeper. He wonders if all these whippersnappers are longing for a different era, when names like Bird, Magic, Dr. J and Kareem dominated the sport.

"The young kids know we used to get it done," Wilkins said. "And I think it's a great thing to keep the older guys in the public eye and show their appreciation."

Companies that make the retro attire quickly realized they had a slam dunk.