The basketball jersey is famous for one main reason only – the lack of any sleeves. The basketball jerseys are in fact more like vests than shirts, and are famous or at least well known because there are very few other major sports that use a sleeveless shirt as the main choice of wear. The reason for choosing this sleeveless design over others is because in basketball the players use their arms and hands a lot more than in any other sport, and not only that but they need to be at all sorts of angles to catch passes and take shots – so suppleness and flexibility are extremely important, hence why sleeves were deemed surplus to requirements. The lack of sleeves also allows air to get in around the players body a lot more easily which is obviously very important as basketball players are running back and forth constantly during a game and overheating is a real possibility if the right ventilation isn't available.

There are several famous basketball jerseys worn by some of the greatest players to have played the game. Michael Jordan's number 23 for the Chicago Bulls is probably the most famous of all and signed versions of these can fetch several thousand dollars from fans around the world. One of the more pleasing aspects about the basketball jerseys is that unlike their football (soccer) counterparts the basketball jerseys stay pretty much the same traditional design as always, meaning fans can really treasure their purchase many years afterwards.

More basketball clothing: Basketball Kits