The 10 Best NBA All-Star Uniforms of All Time

Few sports connect to design and style like basketball does. The influence of Michael Jordan's footwear and Michigan's Fab Five on hip-hop dress is undeniable. And, on the flip side, the uniforms worn by professionals offer powerful reminders of the prevailing design trends in each respective era of the league.

No uniform speaks as directly to that idea as the annual All-Star Game kit. From color choices, to graphic sublimation, the uniforms allow a quick peak at what was "hot" from 1951 to today—and a snapshot of the NBA's consideration of player, team, and host city.

The uniforms for the 2013 contest feature an impact camouflage and stencil numbers drawn from fighter planes, and unique personal patches for each player on the warm ups that remind of pilot's bomber jackets.

"For Houston the natural thing it to go back to space and aeronautical," says Travis Blasingame, head of apparel for global basketball at adidas, "We focused on the speed of planes and tying it back into the speed of the game."

Since 2004, the Eastern and Western conference teams have worn newly designed uniforms. There has been an emphasis on location, highlighting the celebratory nature of the event and basketball in each host city, following a period in the late '90s that gave voice to each player's respective teams. The '80s put the NBA at the forefront, the '70s the wild color schemes and graphics of the decade, and reflecting on the '60s uniform sees the league trying to find its identity. In essence, the NBA All-Star uniform is a capsule of basketball's connection to art, culture, design and the marketing of the league's most valuable assets—the players themselves.

On that note, let's step back and revisit the history of the NBA's mid-winter classic through the game's most iconic on-court designs.

The 10 Best NBA All-Star Uniforms of All Time

RELATED: Sneaker Report - adidas Unveils 2014 NBA All-Star Game Uniforms

LIKE COMPLEX ART+DESIGN ON FACEBOOK

Buffalo Brave Randy Smith took MVP honors in a uniform with the strongest text play in NBA All-Star history. The back featured diagonally placed player names, with the front matching a horizontal "stars" with a vertical shout to respective conference. The '79 uniform also employed horizontal text, but the jersey worn in Atlanta beats that rocked at the Pontiac Silverdome thanks to that smooth front lettering.

image via

All-Star uniforms varied in the '60s. In '62, the teams wore their respective home and away looks. Before that, Wilt Chamberlain wore a fetching satin set-up in Philadelphia while claiming MVP in '60. For our money the best uniform was worn in '63, as it features conferences by name surrounded by stars.

image via

Allen Iverson ruled in Denver, winning his second ASG MVP, wearing a uniform that that contemporary uniform design could have classic appeal.

image via

Foreshadowing the current vogue for sublimated All-Star graphics, this uniform was used for the 1991 game in Charlotte, the '92 game in Orlando, the 1993 game in Salt Lake City and the '94 contest in Minneapolis. Barkley ruled in '91, Magic Johnson grabbed MVP in '92, hometown favorites Karl Malone and John Stockton shared MVP honors in '93, and Scottie Pippen claimed player of the game honors the next year. The bold star connects to earlier designs, while simultaneously pushing forth an idea of singular stars fueling professional basketball.

image via

What makes this one of the best? Simple: The league went retro (back to 1985 to 1990—more on this soon) at the height of the vintage jersey craze. Genius.

image via

Perfect for a game played in Milwaukee, the typographic choice for the '77 uniform screams "German beer hall." For that, we love it. Dr. J took home MVP, but the East lost 125-124 to the Western conference stars.

image via

What's better than an All-Star Game in which Michael Jordan dominates? How about when it is coupled with one of the finest city-specific uniforms in the history of the contest. In San Antonio, a hot chili mirrored the shape of the hometown Spurs logo and celebrated the vibrant colors of the American Southwest. Big win and instantly memorable. Thanks, of course, in no small part, to that Shawn Kemp dunk.

image via

NBA replaced East and West on NBA All Star Game uniforms in 1985 and the kit was employed through 1990. We most remember MJ in it. He won MVP at home in '88. Without offering too many superlatives it is the most iconic look of the annual contest...though not the best design.

image via

The era of city themed uniforms started in earnest in 1995. Sure, after the '96 game the league favored team kits through 2002 and went throwback in 2003, but the ideas laid in '95 have driven contemporary design. The color palette of the region and quirky play on the traditional "star" and connected solidly with the bright fashions of the time. Mitch Richmond was named the game's MVP-the uniform so impressive that most people remember it more than they do the player's achievement.

image via

Picking the uniforms worn in '84 over those worn in '82 and '83 (Marvin Gaye singing the National Anthem at the Forum is unforgettable though) isn't easy. The difference is in the type face, with bolder numbers used in '84.

There is obvious similarity between the '84 uniforms and those that closed out the decade. However, the use of conference call-out on the front rather than NBA makes this our favorite, and thus the best, NBA All-Star uniform of all-time.

image via