Man, talking Iverson gear today got me itching to dig out my own stash. Hadn’t touched that bin in months, probably collecting dust under the stairs. Popped the lid open Friday evening, right after work, just sorta poked around.
Found my old Champion replica Sixers jersey tucked way in the back. The red and blue was still kinda sharp, but man, holding it up… the collar was like cheesecloth, all stretched out and frayed. Felt thin too, like it’d rip if I sneezed near it. Really showed my age. Figured it was time to hunt down a proper replacement, something heavier, the real deal like folks wore back in the late 90s.
Started hunting online Saturday morning. Knew I didn’t wanna drop insane cash, but wanted that authentic feel. Scrolled through auction sites and gear groups for hours, got a serious eye ache. Finally spotted one Sunday night – a Mitchell & Ness white hardwood classics joint. Reckon it was a mid-00s reissue. Price seemed fair, didn’t break the bank like some sellers ask. Pulled the trigger real quick, figured why not.
Waited all week checking the dang tracking number like ten times a day. Showed up Thursday afternoon in this flimsy plastic mailer. Yanked it out and my palms got a bit sweaty. Checking every inch:
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Did the tags look right? Yeah, old-school M&N cardboard hangtag, felt legit.
- How about the stitching? Number 3 on the front and back, thick zig-zag, looked solid. Letters felt raised, not cheap printed.
- The feel of the fabric? Heavy mesh, like a proper basketball shirt should weigh. None of that thin replica junk.
- Any nasty surprises? Had to look close under the bright kitchen light. Found one tiny loose thread near the armpit, just snipped it with nail clippers. Nothing serious.
Gave it a sniff test too – smelled clean, just like fresh cotton, no weird factory funk. Threw it on over a tee and damn, felt right. That weight, the fit dropping below the waist. Stood in front of the mirror way too long flexing imaginary crossovers. Gotta take this out soon, maybe hit a game watch or something. This thing ain’t gonna stay folded long.
Funny how grabbing one decent jersey spirals like that. Makes me remember trying to walk like AI back in the day, rocking those cornrows way too late in college. That jersey holds onto all that noise, every game highlight, all that heart he played with. Even this new-old shirt, feels like it’s got stories baked in already. Still shows every dribble, every hustle play.
