NBA All-Star 2022

The 2022 NBA All-Star Game is the 71st edition of the midseason showcase.

While hosting the league’s biggest stars on one court has been a constant for several decades, except in 1999 due to the NBA lockout, much has transformed since the game’s inception in 1951.

One change that easily catches the eye of spectators is the increasing number of uniform combinations that have been worn over the years.

The 2021-2022 season has seen its fair share of fashion statements. As the league celebrates its 75th anniversary, 123 different uniforms have been worn across the Association, with each team receiving four jersey editions – Association, Icon, City and Statement. If that wasn’t enough, three of the league’s original franchises, the New York Knicks, Golden State Warriors (then Philadelphia) and Boston Celtics sported a fifth edition of the Classic that debuted in December.

In the fifth consecutive year of being outfitted by Jordan Brand, the All-Stars can add another jersey to their vast collection. But before that, here’s a look at how the designs have evolved over the years.

All-Stars playing for the Eastern Conference sported a simple white jersey with blue accents, while players from the opposite conference wore the reverse in the home opener. The belt is perhaps the most distinctive feature of the uniform, as elastic waistbands were not standard on basketball shorts during the 1950s.

The design during the 1960s was similar to previous years. The addition of the Eastern or Western conference designation on the front of the jerseys was a distinction that became common later in the decade.

The latter end of the decade mentioned brought a new trend of honoring the city in which the game was played. The Warriors’ City edition uniforms served as the first source of inspiration for the new look.

Players donned Lakers-themed attire when the team’s home arena at the time, the Forum, hosted the All-Star Game.

Washington was the last team whose jerseys served as the model for the showdown between the two conferences.

This style was quite popular, as the design was used for six consecutive years. It was even revived after a brief hiatus for the 2003 and 2004 All-Star Games.

Arguably, the most memorable All-Star uniforms were created in the 1990s, starting with this version that was in use from 1991 to 1994.

Another recognizable design is a product of the last century. The vibrant colors contrasted sharply with the typical red, white and blue uniforms worn for most of the All-Star Games’ existence.

The decade culminated with another well-known trend for the league’s midseason showcase. Eastern Conference players wore their home jerseys, while Western Conference players wore their away uniforms.

This fan-favorite design from the late 1980s resurfaced for two years in the early 2000s.

The first style of the new millennium was distinguished by diagonal lettering, but it was also the last time this format was used. Grand opening, grand closing.

Cursive typography returned to the front of All-Star jerseys for the first time in more than two decades, but this uniform was only used once.

The sleeved jerseys caught on when they were introduced in the 2013-14 season. They were also seen during NBA Christmas Day, as well as making an appearance at the All-Star Game. This style was only worn once.

This minimalist design mirrors that of early All-Star Game jerseys. It was the first time that black and white were the primary uniform colors, with the former representing the Western Conference and the latter used for the Eastern Conference. The players’ first and last names were also printed on the back.

This was the first year the league adopted its current format, making the East and West designations a thing of the past. Similar to the style used in 2015, black and white differentiated the two teams, but each player’s team logo was prominently displayed on the front.