Throwback styles tied to former Bulls players Scottie Pippen, Michael Jordan, and Dennis Rodman ran summer NBA jersey sales for Lids locations across the country.
On Wednesday morning, sportswear subsidiary and mall-based retailer Lids shared its sales data for top-selling team gear over the course of the just-ended NBA offseason.
Despite the Golden State Warriors winning their fourth championship in less than a decade or the Boston Celtics ascending as a new fan favorite, the Chicago Bulls won the summer where apparel sales were concerned. Even more interesting, it was not DeMar DeRozan tanks that took them to the top spot. Rather, it was the retro styles tied to the team’s “Last Dance” roster.
Led by Scottie Pippen and backed by Michael Jordan and Dennis Rodman, the ’90s dynasty dominated jersey sales while proving to be the most popular team where Lids retail was concerned in a whopping 28 states. While some may wonder why Pippen proved even more bankable than MJ in the tank top department, the answer presumably comes down to tiered pricing.
Notably, Michael Jordan’s Mitchell & Ness throwback jersey is only sold in the court-comparable Authentic fashion, ranging from $275 to $350 in pricepoint. Conversely, Pippen plays his position quite keenly with the aptly named Swingman style starting at $85 in youth sizing while scaling up to right around $135 for adults.
Unlike Mike, both Pippen and Rodman have licensing deals with Mitchell & Ness that not only allow replica renditions of their nostalgic game jerseys, but also alternative iterations clad in camo and gradient effects. Because of this, many more affordable looks licensed to No. 33 and No. 91 are available.
Across the NBA, LeBron James Lakers jerseys led all players in summer sales — both active and retired — with Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant also appearing in the top 10.
Coinciding not just with the NBA offseason but also peak time for pool parties and music festivals, throwback tanks took most of the market share at Lids with ’90s sentiment sending Penny Hardaway, Vince Carter, and Allen Iverson jerseys to the top.
Notably, Kobe Bryant broke into the seventh spot by way of his Lakers throwback styles. As discussed in long-form, Kobe occupies the same curious case as Michael Jordan in that Mitchell & Ness only produces his jersey in Authentic styling and pricing.
If Bryant’s estate were to open up licensing to Swingman styles with the Fanatics-owned company or through their restructured deal with Nike, Bryant would assumingly top the list.
As the 2022-23 NBA season begins, Nike and the Association have begun rolling out new styles for the latest campaign. Across the league, all teams will have at least four different tops to wear on the court and sell in the stands.
Additionally, a handful of clubs will wear throwback tanks this year. For a complete list of Classic Edition uniforms set for this season, click here.
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