Again, let me preface this post by saying that I do not collect Champion Pro-Cut jerseys. Counterfeiting is way too rampant since the price-points are so high. As mentioned in my previous post, there are two types of fakes/counterfeits, blatant and subtle. Blatant counterfeits would be knock-offs made overseas (China) where not a single thread on the jersey is Champion. Subtle counterfeits would be taking a legit blank Champion team-issued jersey and applying a player’s tackle-twill name/number on it by an unlicensed third party. The following will help you start deciphering between real and fake Pro-Cuts.
Jock Tags & Sizing
The jersey should be to the exact measurements and specifications of the player for the particular season that it was produced. I always use Michael Jordan as an example since his jersey size is the most well known. A Pro-Cut Michael Jordan Bulls jersey from the 1990s should be sized at 46 with body length +3.
The Pro-Cut jersey should have two jock tags (double-tagged). The traditional jock tag with Champion logo indicates the chest size (in Jordan’s case, size 46). This tag should always say Made in the USA. Although Champion shifted manufacturing of its replica jerseys out of the country in the mid 90s, Pro-Cuts were always 100% manufactured in the USA.
The double-tag has team info (Designed & Tailored Exclusively for Chicago Bulls), season (1996/1997) and then Body Length stamped onto it (Body Length +3). Again, the Body Length is stamped on (printed), whereas the rest of the label is embroidered. The double-tags are made in bulk by Champion for all jerseys for a particular team for that season and the area for Body Length is left blank until it is applied to a tailored jersey, at which time it is stamped.
Starting in the 1998-1999 season, Champion began affixing a separate non-stamped tag indicating body length to the jersey, underneath the jock tag.
There should also be a white flag tag on the left in-seam of the jersey that indicates fabric content and extra body length. For instance, below is the hemline tag from the 1996-1997 Michael Jordan Bulls Pro Cut.
Players
Champion only made Pro-Cuts in very limited quantities for the league’s most popular players at the time (about 15 players at most per season). I do not have an official list, but here’s a general idea:
- Michael Jordan
- Scottie Pippen
- Anfernee Hardaway
- Shaquille O’Neal
- Grant Hill
- Patrick Ewing
- Nick Van Exel
- Alonzo Mourning
- Larry Johnson
- Charles Barkley
- Dan Majerle
- Reggie Miller
- Glenn Robinson
- LaPhonso Ellis
- Dikembe Mutombo
- Shawn Kemp
- Jason Kidd
- Jimmy Jackson
- Karl Malone
- John Stockton
- Hakeem Olajuwon
- David Robinson
- Damon Stoudamire
- Bryant Reeves
- Shareef Abdur-Rahim
- Allen Iverson
While this isn’t a complete list, it does account for most of the players that Champion produced Pro-Cut jerseys for retail. This is just to give you an idea and starting point. You might come across a Champion Pro-Cut of a star player not on this list that is 100% legit, but the point is Pro-Cuts were limited to popular players.
There were some third party vendors (memorabilia dealers) with specific licenses who were able to get blank Pro-Cut jerseys from Champion with letter/number kits and customize the jerseys. Overtime ProWear in Huntingdon Beach, CA was the top seller of Champion Pro-Cuts during the mid 1990s. I go into a bit more detail on Overtime ProWear in a follow-up post, but these third party vendors kind of muddied the water because they produced jerseys of any player you wanted. So when you see a Pro-Cut of a random player, it’s either from Overtime ProWear, team-issued and found its way to market, or fake.
Seasons
Champion did not make Pro-Cuts for retail during the first two years it was the official provider of NBA uniforms (1991-1992 and 1992-1993 seasons). Other than Replicas, they only made Authentics for a handful of players during these two seasons. When Champion took over as the official uniform supplier for the NBA from MacGregor Sand-Knit in the summer of 1990, they needed to put all of their focus and manufacturing capacity into producing uniforms and warm-ups for every player in the league. In fact, MacGregor Sand-Knit still produced jerseys for multiple NBA teams for the 1990-1991 season, but Champion just removed Sand-Knits jock tags and replaced them with their own. In fall of 1991 Champion started releasing replica jerseys to the retail market and really focused on building that market for the 1991-1992 and 1992-1993 seasons.
In 1993-1994, as part of the NBAs limited edition Commemorative Collection, Champion issued it’s first series of Pro-Cuts for retail. They were limited to a handful of players, and limited in quantity per player. I go into more detail about this limited edition collection in a follow-up post, but if I were to buy a Pro-Cut, I would only buy from this 1993-1994 collection.
Also keep in mind that starting in the 1997-1998 season, Champion lost its license as the exclusive uniform provider of the NBA. During the 1997-1997 season, the league split the uniform licenses between Champion, Starter (later Puma when Starter went bankrupt) and Nike. While Champion remained the exclusive manufacturer of Replica jerseys, they were no longer able to produce Authentic or Pro-Cut jerseys outside of the teams that fell under their license. You can read all about how the teams were divided among brands here and here, but below is an overview of which teams Champion provided uniforms for:
1991-1992 through 1996-1997: Champion official uniform provider for all NBA teams
1997-1998 & 1998-1999: Champion official uniform provider for 10 teams: Atlanta, Indiana, Los Angeles Clippers, New Jersey, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Seattle, Utah and Vancouver (Starter and Nike split remaining 19 teams)
1999-2000 & 2000-2001: Champion official uniform provider for 10 teams: Atlanta, Charlotte, Los Angeles Clippers, New Jersey, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Seattle, Utah and Vancouver (Puma takes over for Starter and gets Indiana while Champion gets Charlotte)
2001-2002: Champion official uniform provider for 8 teams: Atlanta, Charlotte, Los Angeles Clippers, New Jersey, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix and Utah (Reebok begins its deal with the NBA and gets Seattle and Vancouver/Memphis from Champion)
Knowing the licensing history for Champion is another very important tool when figuring out if a Pro-Cut jersey is legit. For instance, I see a lot of Tracy McGrady Toronto Raptors Rookie Pro-Cut jerseys made by Champion, but they are all fakes. McGrady entered the league in 1997-1998, the same year that Nike obtained the Toronto Raptors uniform license. Therefore, only Nike could make a Pro-Cut McGrady jersey, Champion could only produce his Replica jersey.
Cross-referencing Game Used jerseys
Another valuable tool in verifying the authenticity of a Pro-Cut jersey is cross-referencing Game Used jerseys. It cannot be stressed enough that a legit Pro-Cut jersey has to be the exact same measurements as the jersey worn on the court by the player (for a particular season). Unless you a hardcore collector, you wouldn’t know what Patrick Ewing’s jersey size was for the 1994-1995 season (size 48 body length +6). But if you see a Patrick Ewing 1994-1995 Champion Pro-Cut on Ebay, you’ll want to make sure the sizing matches up with what Ewing wore that particular year. There are some great auction sites that archive passed sales, and you can search there databases to pull up images of Game Used jerseys and then cross reference the size tagging:
Keep in mind that while some players maintained consistent sizes throughout the 90s (Michael Jordan), others changed sizes year-to-year (Shaquille O’Neal). So the Pro-Cut size should always sync up with what a particular player wore during the season on the dual-tag. This takes research, but is invaluable in helping you avoid purchasing a counterfeit. For instance, Shaquille O’Neal wore a Size 52 with Body Length +4 for his rookie season in 1992-1993 and for the 1993-1994 season. But for the 1994-1995 season, he went to a Size 54 with Body Length +4. When he joined the Lakers for the 1996-1997 season, he was a Size 56 with Body Length +6.
And as mentioned, a lot of times when sizing doesn’t match up this is what I refer to as a “subtle” counterfeit. Most likely, a third party vendor got ahold of a blank Champion Pro-Cut jersey and added a name/number kit to it. All the pieces are legit, but it wasn’t produced in a Champion factory and doesn’t reflect the true sizing of the player, so a whole it’s a fake. For instance, below is a Patrick Ewing New York Knicks Pro-Cut home jersey Size 44 with Body Length +2 from the 1995-1996 season. That would be a crop top for Ewing, who wore a Size 48 with Body Length +6. The size 44 jersey itself was most definitely made in a Champion factory and double tagged, but at some point it made it to a third party as a blank jersey, and that third party applied Ewing’s name/number kit to it. So it’s not a legit Pro-Cut, and whoever purchased it overpaid when they could have bought a size 44 Champion Authentic jersey for a fraction of the cost and basically had the same jersey.
NBA logo
The NBA logo should be stitched into the left shoulder strap. There are some exceptions where the NBA logo is stitched on the right shoulder strap (Suns, Heat and Hawks). But the logo should always be stitched directly onto the strap and not a patch sewn onto the jersey. Keep in mind that during the 1996-1997 season, the NBA celebrated it’s 50th Anniversary and had the gold NBA logo embroidered on its jerseys. So any Pro-Cut from the 1996-1997 season should have the gold NBA logo.
No Pro-Cut (or Authentic) should have the Champion logo on the shoulder strap. The Champion logo was only on Replica jerseys. The NBA did not allow uniform providers to put their logos on game uniforms (jerseys or shorts) until the most recent Nike deal that took effect in 2017-2018. Nike paid $1 billion for the 8-year uniform license deal with the NBA, which was apparently enough money for the league to finally cave-in and allow the brand logo on the jersey.
Material
The material will either be 100% Polyester or 100% Nylon (texturized nylon tricot) depending on the team and year. There should be a white flag tag on the left in-seam that indicates the fabric content. The mesh is breathable and has larger holes, and the jerseys have side-slits at the bottom hem.
Letters & Numbers
For the most part, letters and numbers are tackle twill stitched onto the jersey (“cut-and-sew”). If letters/numbers are double appliqué (meaning two layers), then the layers should be stitched together. Swingman jerseys (introduced by Nike in the late 1990s) screen print the double appliqué letters/numbers and the stitching onto one layer of tackle twill and then sew that one piece onto the jersey. This makes the production process quite simple and is why Swingmans retail for so much less than Authentics and Pro-Cuts. Authentics and Pro-Cuts should always have actual stitching when letters/numbers are multi-layered.
There are some teams in the early 1990s that did not use tackle twill letters/numbers, and they are worth noting. The Bulls, Sonics, Pistons and Jazz heat-pressed names/numbers/logos onto their game jerseys during the noted seasons below:
- The Bulls used heat pressed team name/players’ names/numbers for the 1990-1991 and 1991-1992 seasons before going to tackle-twill in 1992-1993 (this is the season where the players names on the back of their road jerseys went from solid white to black with white underlay/outline).
- The Pistons used heat pressed team name/players’ names/numbers from 1990-1991 through 1994-1995. They switched to tackle twill for the 1995-1996 season (a year prior to their uniform redesign). So a Grant Hill Pro-Cut jersey from his Rookie of the Year season in 1994-1995 should be heat pressed, otherwise it’s fake.
- The Sonics heat pressed team name/players’ names/numbers from 1990-1991 through 1994-1995. When they redesigned their uniforms for the 1995-1996 season they went to tackle twill. You’ll see quite a few Gary Payton Sonics Authentic Champion jerseys from the early 90s where his name and number are tackle twill/sewn. These are subtle fakes (the blank Sonic jerseys was made by Champion, but some third party applied a Gary Payton letter/number kit).
- The Jazz used a hybrid; From 1990-1991 through 1995-1996 the team name and numbers were heat pressed while the players names were tackle twill letters stitched onto the jersey. When they redesigned their uniforms for the 1996-1997 season they went to tackle twill.
- The Milwaukee Bucks also used heat pressed team name/players’ names/numbers for from 1990-1991 through 1992-1993. When they redesigned uniforms for the 1993-1994 season, they went to tackle twill.
As previously noted, Champion did NOT produce Pro-Cut jerseys until the 1993-1994 season for the limited edition NBA Commemorative Collection. So for 1991-1992 and 1992-1993, Champion only produced Replica jerseys & Authentic jerseys. The Authentic jerseys were produced in very limited quantities and players (the Authentic Michael Jordan and Isiah Thomas jerseys pictured above are from 1990-1991). Champion did NOT produce Pro-Cut jerseys for the 1991-1992 or 1992-1993 seasons. If you see any jerseys on the market for those times that are double-tagged, they are most likely Game-Issued or were blank Team-Issued jerseys that were later retrofitted with a players name/number by a third party.
Team Logos and Graphics
Team names in most instances should also be tackle twill letters stitched onto the jersey. But any graphics associated with the team name are printed on the jersey, usually through dye sublimation, where the graphic feels like it’s part of the fabric. For example, on a Pro-Cut mid-1990s Phoenix Suns jersey, the team name “SUNS” is tackle twill letters sewn on to the jersey but the sunburst graphic is printed.
Same with a mid-1990s Houston Rockets jersey, the team name “ROCKETS” is tackle will letters sewn on the jersey, but the underlying graphic of the basketball with orbiting rocket is printed.
Champion first used dye sublimation on the New Jersey Nets uniforms for the 1990-1991 season (the first season that Champion produced uniforms for the NBA). The jerseys had a faded, tie-dye look which was achieved with dye sublimation. The jerseys were designed by Apex One, which in the early 1990s was a popular sports apparel brand (Apex One was eventually acquired by Converse in 1995, only to be closed months later because of declining sales). The Nets were a horrible franchise at the time, and they were hoping a rebranding might give them boost. The uniform design was said to depict “constant motion.” They were hated pretty much by everyone and the Nets only wore them for one season, and as a result the Game Used and Game Issued jerseys from that season are very rare and highly collectible.
For the 1991-1992 season, Champion designed it’s first NBA jersey for the Philadelphia 76ers. The shooting stars graphics and team name were applied with dye sublimation. The design was ridiculed at the time and only lasted three seasons.
For the 1991-1992 season Champion also started using dye sublimation on the classic Denver Nuggets rainbow jerseys. Prior to 1991-1992, the rainbow pattern was solid fabric swatches and the mountains were tackle twill.
Champion also started using dye sublimation on the stripes for the Portland Trailblazers jersey for the 1991-1992 season (the Blazers redesigned their logo that year going from lower case to upper case letters). Prior to 1991-1992, the stripes were solid fabric inlays.
Champion also used dye sublimation for the All Star jerseys they produced starting with the 1991 All Star Game (1990-1991 season) through the 1996 All Star Game (1995-1996 season). Starting in the 1997 All Star Game, players wore their team uniforms, and by the time they switched back to specially designed uniforms for the 2003 All Star Game (2002-2003 season), Reebok had obtained the official NBA uniform license.
By the mid-90s Champion was using dye sublimation for graphics on numerous additional redesigned jerseys: Bucks (alternate), Cavaliers, Grizzlies, Hawks, Jazz, Magic, Pistons, Raptors, Rockets, Sonics and Suns.
This leads to another important point when verifying authenticity of a Pro-Cut. The year/season on the dual-tag should sync up with the style of the jersey that team wore that particular season. As noted, a lot of teams in the mid 90s redesigned their uniforms and/or started introducing alternate/third uniform kits. Sportslogos.net is a great resource for researching uniform histories for all teams.
Ebay
Most likely you will be looking at Pro-Cuts on Ebay. Despite Ebay’s attempts to curb counterfeiting, it’s too big of a site to catch everything and honestly, they don’t care. I have flagged blatant counterfeits on the site before and they never removed them. For every one legit Pro-Cut on Ebay, there are probably twenty fakes. If you follow the guidelines I layout above, you will be able to filter out the fakes easily. Here are some other common sense pointers:
- The more photos the better. Make sure you can see the jock tag clearly, up close photos of the numbers/letters and stitching, as well as inside-out photos of the garment to see the stitching. Also see if the white tags are on the in-seam with the fabric content and body length.
- Make sure measurements are listed (pit-to-pit & top of shoulder strap to bottom hem). Those measurements should sync up with the jock tags. A lot of times, counterfeit jock tags do not sync up with the actual measurements of the jersey
- Do not buy anything from overseas (Sorry to my overseas collectors with legit Pro-Cuts!)
- Look at the Sellers other items for sale, especially past sales (this is an Advanced search option). This way you can see if they’ve sold the same Pro-Cut before, and if they have, they’re probably selling fakes.
- Price and number of bidders is the big indicator. Someone who is confident they have a legit Pro-Cut will price it accordingly, show you lots of photos and give an in-depth description. But more importantly, it will attract numerous knowledgable bidders (collectors). Look at the bid history to see how many different people are bidding and their feedback. Collectors usually have high feedback numbers.
Hey man!
I was hoping you could help track down some John “Hot Rod” Williams jerseys. I work for the agency who represented him before he passed and I am looking for some jerseys for his son.
Hot Rod jerseys are hard to find, but they pop-up every now and again on Ebay…both early 90s Cavs and mid 90s styles. Let me see if anyone I know currently has one (and is willing to part with it).
Salut ! Hi !
Couple of months ago, I left you a comment to get your advice about a Sonics Ray Allen jersey I’ve bought on eBay.
The comment was still pending moderation last time I’ve checked but I can’t find it anymore. I don’t know if you’ve deleted it or else. I saw you’re active again on your blog, so, sorry to try again…
The jersey I’m talking about is this one : https://imgur.com/a/z2LmbnC
I’ve been told on reddit that It must be a fake one, but some people there were saying it look real as well.
I know it doesn’t not match to any game played jersey (I can’t find any picture of it) though it’s very close from the Sonics gold alternate one but in green. To me, the quality seems nice, the tags are there as well, the sewing is very clean. Well, I would appreciate to get your thoughts !
Thanks
Sorry for the delayed response. Unfortunately you have a fake. Allen didn’t join the Sonics until the second half of the 2002-2003 season. Champion stopped producing jerseys after the 2001-2002 season as Nike and Reebok had the licenses. In fact, Champion lost the license for the Sonics after the 2000-2001 season…Reebok had the Sonics license starting in 2001-2002. So starting in 2001-2002 Champion could only make replica Sonics jerseys and after that season Champion was completely out of the jersey game.
Hi thanks for all this invaluable info! Can I just ask, regarding the back tags (tag at back of neck collar), am I right in saying:
– Team Issued/Pro-cuts: will NOT have back tags
– Authentics will them
– Replicas will have em
And from reading your info, there’s actually no way to tell whether a jersey is Team-Issued or just a Pro-Cut, is that right?
Thanks man!
Thanks for checking out the site. You are correct regarding neck tags…Pro-Cuts/team-issued/game worn do NOT have them, but both authentics and replicas do (mass manufactured for the retail market).
As far as telling a pro-cut from a team-issued/game worn…assuming all the measurements and tagging match up, there is no way to tell. You would need some sort of authentication at that point. Without authentication you should assume it’s a pro-cut.
I have a jordan jersey that is dual tagged, with no champion logo under the nba logo. The tags are size 48, and the champion authentics tag to the left. I can’t find an exact version online, any ideas on where to look?
This would be fake. Starting in 1997-1998, any authentic Jordan Bulls Jersey would have been made by Nike as they had the license for the Bulls (Champion could only produce Bulls replicas starting in 1997-1998). The way you describe the tagging it sounds like how Champion tagged their authentics starting in the 1998 season. So definitely a fake…I’ve seen similar fakes before
Hi! I love your site! I’m a collector myself and use this site as my reference guide. I was curious why there was no team section for the Suns, Warriors, Spurs, TWolves or Sonics though. Thanks for all your hard work on here!
I’ll have those team galleries up by end of year. Slowly getting them all curated and posted. Thanks for checking out the site and keep checking back in!
Hello
I have a Michael Jordan pro cut jersey that matches everything on the page the jersey is from the 96-97 season. I was told that it had been game worn I realize that there are companies that might validate but my main question is the fabric tag has numbers written in pen and the jersey has been washed the number is either 28 or 82 written on it had faded through, I have been in possession of the jersey for at least 14 years. I was told at one point that champion writes on the fabric tag but for what reason?
Champion wouldn’t write on the tag, but the equipment department might if it’s a carry over jersey from a previous season. But assuming it’s a true 1996-1997 jersey with gold NBA logo, then it couldn’t be a carry over. So not really sure without seeing photos of the jersey.
Hey! Was hoping you could help me out here. Saw the below listing on eBay for a Pistons jersey and was a bit confused as the NBA logo is gold, but the jock tag says the jersey is from the 95-96 season. Is this legit?
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vtg-Champion-NBA-Detroit-Pistons-Allen-35-Stitched-50th-Season-Gold-Logo-Jersey/233381195935?hash=item36569a709f:g:5CoAAOSwyOVdtE-3
Well, there was no “Allen” who played on the 1995-1996 or 1996-1997 Pistons, so that right there tells you something. Also gold logo was only for 1996-1997 season, and during that season the Pistons had the updated uniform design.
When is the article on dream team i jersey coming?
Thanks for checking out the site. I finally got the Dream Team gallery posted. At some point I’ll crank out an article. So keep checking back!
Hey great site
Im looking for black barkley Suns champion jersey but its way too hard (I live in France), I was hoping you Can Hello
Ebay has lots…just have to find someone who will ship overseas.
Absolutely love the blog!
I’ve had a Shareef Abdur-Rahim 1998-99 pro-cut in storage forever. The inside material tag states 100% Polyester, but am I correct that in 98-99 there was no body length description on the inside?
Thanks!
Hi there, I am sure every basketball jersey enthusiast will join me in greatly thanking you for this invaluable info!
I would really like to know all the differences between the period authentic Champion retail issue 1992 Olympic Dream Team jersey and the team issued jersey. I know the obvious diff that the retail didn’t have the 92 Olympic badge next to the Champion jock but I was told the pro jersey mesh which has bigger holes more spaced out was used in the team issued examples but not the retail issue?! Doesn’t seem right because as far as I know all authentic NBA game jerseys sold have the same mesh as the player/team issue example!
Thanks for checking out the site! Champion never made an Authentic version of the 1992 Olympic jerseys, only replicas. Anything you see on the market is a fake.
I bought a khalid reeves Charlotte jersey 1995-1996
Everything is perfect but the nba logo inside stitching got me like if is not a authentic Jersey ..i would like to sent u a picture…..but everything else is good…
Since Khalid Reeves played only like 20 games for the Hornets, Champion never made a Reeves Hornets jersey for resale. In fact, they never made any Khalid Reeves jersey either replica or authentic. So you would have to have a dual-tagged ProCut jersey, and at that point, its most likely fake unless it was team-issued or game worn
Could you tell me why some Champion authentics have a double jock tag (not the extra length tag that procuts/gamers have but) while other Champion authentics do not? Some have a champion logo jock tag + a size jock tag while others have only the size jock tag.
For the 1998-1999 season, Champion added the second jock tag to their Authentic jerseys (the NBA Authentics tag that says “Designed Exclusively for the Athletes of the NBA). With Nike and Starter now making Authentics for their respective teams, it was most likely added by Champion for increased branding. So any Champion authentics prior to the 1998-1999 season will not have the second tag, just the size jock tag.
And yet, I was able to find a Karl Malone authentic from 1995 which is double tagged. (https://www.ebay.com/itm/VERY-RARE-100-NEW-Authentic-Champion-Utah-Jazz-1995-Karl-Malone-Game-Jersey/164387132197?hash=item26463c9325:g:8O4AAOSwF0lfSIBV)
So apparently Champion were double tagging some authentics as far back as 1995? So confused!!
Pro-Cuts would have have been double-tagged in 1995, but not retail authentics
This is such a great article and site. Thank you so much for it. I have two quick questions.
I saw your answer to the response to the question regarding a Jordan Pro-cut w/ “fabric tag has numbers written in pen”. I have just acquired a 95- 96 one that has this as well. Any more new information or thoughts on this? Mine appear to be a “5” and a “4” on the tag, but its hard to tell.
Also, I have a Ray Allen 96- 97 (rookie year) that has the Gold Logo on a patch covering the regular “RW&B” Logo that is stitched in. It’s jock tag says says “95-96”. So it appears to be a carryover from the season before used in 96-97. The only other Champion I have seen with these traits is an Allen Iverson who was also a rookie that season. Do you know any info on these carry-over jerseys with a cover-up anniversary patch?
Any thoughts or direction would be helpful. Again, your rule.
Best,
Andy
You have to keep in mind the before David Stern became commissioner in 1982 (I believe) the NBA barely had any merchandising and made like no money. When Sand-Knit took over the licensing for all NBA uniforms in the mid-80s, they lost money because no one was buying NBA merch. So not only did uniform designs remain stagnant during that time, but teams carried over jerseys year-after-year until they could no longer be repaired. Sand Knit eventually had to abandon their license like two years before there contract was up because they were bankrupt, and thus Champion came in. The first year Champion had the license in 1990, a lot of the jerseys were carry over Sand Knit jerseys that Champion just switched the jock tags out on…Champion didn’t have the capacity yet to create all the game used/team issued gear (shorts, jerseys, warm ups) so they relied on Sand Knit still. BUT, with Champion came some marketing dollars…and of course Champion go lucky to come on board right when the Bulls dynasty was building and sports apparel was taking off (Starter, Chalkline, Logo Athletic, The Game,etc). Finally teams, with the help of Champion, started changing their uniform designs (Nets tie-dye, Sixers falling star, etc) and you started to see alternate jerseys as well. Nonetheless, there was still carry over from year to year if a teams design didn’t change. And it makes perfect sense that for the 1996-97 50th anniversary season (when the logo went gold) that they would carry over jerseys and just sew the gold logo over the normal NBA logo. They should have changed out the jock tag though to reflect the season
Hi I have a white Jordan Jersey Chanpion Brand which may be pro cut and has the gold NBA logo but has a champion logo on the neck that says made in China, the stitching on the bottom is a size 46 and very long, there is another tag saying made for the Chicago bulls 94/95 season – anyway I can email you some pics, would appreciate your help.
Hi there. Sounds like a fake for several reasons. The Gold NBA logo was only on jerseys from the 1996-1997 season, when the NBA celebrate its 50th Anniversary. So the fact that it has the gold logo with a 1994/1995 season tag is a red flag. Also, the jersey would be made in USA. Champion never made any jerseys in China (Mexico, Puerto Rico and Korea were the only other countries they used to produce jerseys, but all Pro Cuts were made in the USA).
Hi this stuff is great. I’m looking for the follow-up article on Overtime ProWear mentioned above but can’t seem to find it. Can we have a bit more info on Pro Cuts done by them? Does it mean basically they were able to do officially licensed Pro Cuts for anybody in the league at the time?
They had pipeline into Champion to get Pro-Cuts for any team. You could then get them to customize with any player you wanted…BUT, the size most of the time didn’t match what the player wore on the court. So that is why they aren’t legit Pro-Cuts, and are more 3rd party customizations using whatever sizes they could get from Champion. However, they only offered every team/player option for like a season, then they just offered key players like Jordan. As far as I recall, those were true to player sizing and potentially already came customized from Champion’s factory.
Hi! I was wondering whether you could help me… I have been offered a Rodman Bulls pro-cut (in red) but I am not sure whether it is legit or not. Size is 50 (no extra length) and Made in USA, it looks legit but I have not seen anything similar online nor on your list. Should I take it?
Thanks!!
I would have to know the year. I’ve seen game used Rodmans in 46+3 (Champion) and 50+4 (Nike). I don’t believe he ever were 50+0
How often do you see the Bulls Jordan Red heat pressed 1990 Champion Jerseys size 44 come up for sale? I just bought an autographed one from someone that bought it action 30 years ago. Very high placement of the NBA patch like the image you show. Thanks!
Hello! Thanks for writing such an informational piece. I recently obtained a signed Karl Malone, white, size 50, 1993-1994 white champion pro cut. The seller I obtained it from was gifted the piece from Malones brother in law who claimed it was game worn. It shows some signs of wear and has some sweat marks on the jock tags, so I’m optimistic. But I guess my main question is, were there pro cuts made for this year? Is it likely it’s just a pro cut? I’m just not sure how common they were from that year and I’d love to find out if it’s potentially game worn (team issued) or just a retail piece. I’ve tried to photo match via Getty Images but the library isn’t very large from that season. Any help is appreciated! Thanks so much, take care.
You at least have a legitimate Champion Pro Cut Malone jersey since the sizing matches up with what Malone wore on the court that year. Determining game used is so tough and only a proper auction house can determine that (and even they aren’t 100%). But Champion Pro Cut jerseys weren’t prevalent yet at that time, other than for autograph purposes (Upper Deck)…so I would say it most likely is team issued at the very least.
Hi I need your help I have a procut pistons red grant hill from the 95/96 season everything is perfect except it’s missing one tag at the bottom and the other is a champion size 50 why is that other than that everything matches the procut exactly inside out can you help me ?
You have a fake (or at least a legit Champion Pistons jersey, but a 3rd party customized with Hill’s name and number). A legit Hill Pro-Cut from 95-96 would be a size 48+4, and it would be dual-tagged.
Hi there! Quick question – if the jock tag doesn’t have the body length stamp, is that a fake? Someone told me it’s a pro cut retail version???
To be a Pro-Cut it has to be dual-tagged, and the tag that has the season information would be stamped with extra length…and the size and extra length should correspond to the player. If no body length stamp, then it was a third party who took deadstock Champion jerseys and customized.
Hi,
This post reads like you’ve got more information about the Commemorative Edition jerseys (e.g. the numbers produced/players produced, etc.), but I’m not finding it on your site. Is there another place you’ve compiled that information for perusal? I’m trying to research those jerseys myself and haven’t turned up much information.
Additionally, I’m curious about the prevalence of 92 Olympic and 94 FIBA procuts. I can’t seem to find anything about those, either. I’m especially interested in trying to find out how many for each player were produced.
Hope you can help.
Thanks.
When I finally get some free time again, I’ll post the Commemorative Edition gallery. As for Pro-Cut 1992 Dream Team Olympic, to my knowledge they don’t exist except for autograph purposes (and I don’t even think they are Pro Cut, I think Upper Deck just used authentics). Champion didn’t even release authentic versions for retail, only replicas. As for 1994 FIBA, I believe the same applies.
Hi I have an official Shaquille Oneill game Jersey designed and tailored in 95/96 exclusively for Orlando magic.
body length +4 size 54 blue with white pin stripes. Never worn. Brand new.
Can you tell me what it might be worth and where I should try and sell it?
Thank you in advance.
Nice, you have a legit Champion Pro-Cut Shaq jersey. I try not to assign value because it’s worth as much as someone is willing to for it. But Ebay is always the best place to sell because of visibility. Although lately Ebay takes a big chunk of the final sale price in fees, and they have given buyers a lot of power on the platform. So you have to make sure you are selling to a legit buyer who isn’t going to claim the item didn’t arrive or arrived damaged, because Ebay can just take those funds right out of your account. So always make sure to take lots of photos, even of the jersey in the packaging you are sending, and also make sure to get a physical receipt from the post office showing you shipped it (and I would even spend extra to insure it).
Hi
I am clueless and in need of some help please. I got gifted a Vancouver grizzlies jersey when I was a child. There was a story of it being given to a royal family member and then had been gifted on to me. Is there anyway to authenticate it. I’ve tried but just get confused. I can send images on email if you were able to help I would be very grateful. It’s 1997-98
Hi all! I recently purchased a 1995-96 NY KNICKS JOHN STARKS AUTHENTIC PRO CUT JERSEY SZ 46 + 0
It is not on the list and I have not seen another one online. Do you guys know whether Champion made a pro Cut for John Starks in that size?
Many thanks
Sizing seems off…Starks jersey sizes varied and I have seen 44+2, 42+0 and 42+2…but never a 46. A legit Pro-Cut would be the same spec that Starks wore on the court for the 95-96 season….which I believe was 44+2. It should be noted that most Champion Pro-Cut jerseys on the market are either fake or were made with deadstock jerseys by 3rd party vendors who had access to Champion’s manufacturing pipeline…so sizing doesn’t match up with player in many cases. Most legit Champion Pro-Cut jerseys went to companies like Upper Deck for players to autograph. The only Pro-Cuts that are 100% easy to verify are the Commemorative Collection jerseys
Hey, thank you for spreading your knowledge to those of us who do not know much about so many of these details. I am 45 and just started looking into collecting a bit, and my favorite player of all time is Charles Barkley (76ers jersey). I’d love to be able to find an authentic Barkley 76ers jersey, or even a legit replica,/retro, but can’t find them anywhere. Do you know why Charles doesn’t have any jerseys that are available at NBA.com or sporting goofs stores? Or where I can find one that I wouldn’t have to worry about getting a bootleg/Erick Barkley jersey delivered, lol?
Thanks,
George