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Do NBA Players Reuse Jerseys?

The answer is yes, NBA players will reuse jerseys they’ve already worn in most cases.

Now, there are a lot of factors which may prevent this from happening, like if the player trades jerseys with another player after the game, or if the jersey is damaged during the course of the game.

But generally, it is the equipment manager’s job to ensure all jerseys are washed, cleaned and prepped before every game.

Jerseys are expensive and a team is only allotted a limited number of them, which means they must be reused. There are some blank ‘back-up’ jerseys in case a player needs a last minute change or if a team signs a new player.

Re-adding print like numbers and nameplates is cheaper and easier to do on short notice than replacing the entire jersey.

 What About Star Players?

Though it is common practice to reuse game jerseys, certain star players have theirs replaced more often, because many of these players will swap their jerseys after the game.

For example, Dwayne Wade famously held a retirement tour in his last year in the league, and gave his jersey to every player he deemed worthy. A player like D-Wade would get a new jersey for every game, in that case.

A bench player, on the other hand, will just have his washed and returned to him.

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How Many Jerseys Do NBA Players Get?

An equipment manager will set aside three jerseys for NBA players: a first half jersey, a second half jersey and an emergency jersey.

After the game, players hand over their jerseys to the equipment manager for cleaning and preparation for the following game.

This includes repairing nameplates and numbers.

Sometimes, a team will sign a player last-minute, and the equipment manager will have to create a new jersey from a blank slate for that player.

Find out from our article titled ‘When Do NBA Team Wear Alternate Jerseys?’

Do NBA Players Have A Say In What Jersey They Can Wear?

No, in fact, neither does the team. The NBA sends out a schedule at the beginning of every regular season that details what jerseys a team is supposed to wear on any given game night.

At the beginning of the postseason, the NBA will send out another schedule. Usually, the equipment manager is the one that’s focused on this schedule, as they’re the ones who lay out the jerseys for all the players.

Read our article on Top Selling NBA Jerseys & What Size NBA Jersey Should I Buy?

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