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Counterfeiters try hard but can’t ever quite get close enough to the authentic.
If you’re in the market for a jersey and you’re wondering how to spot fake NBA jerseys, there are at least 4 easy tell-tale signs.
The first thing you should look at is the Nike Swoosh. On fake NBA jerseys, these often look downright awful.
So too will the fonts and colors. The teal on a Grizzlies jersey, for example, will be a dark green instead of the authentic teal.
And then there are the retail tags, which on a fake won’t fit the patterns of an authentic, and the technology under Nike Connect tag, which won’t exist on a fake NBA jersey.
How To Spot A Fake NBA Jersey
Tip #1: Nike Swoosh
For some reason counterfeiters can never seem to get the Nike Swoosh logo right.
The real Nike Swoosh logo is placed close to the centre chest, while fakes typically are higher up and closer to the collar.
A lot of the time, the Nike logo will also be too thin compared to the original.
Another easy giveaway is if the Nike logo is sewn into the jersey, particularly if you’re looking at Swingman jerseys.
All Swingman jerseys have heat-pressed graphics and are not sewn on. So this is an easy tell on how to spot a fake NBA jersey.
If you want to learn more about swingman jerseys, read this article What Is A Swingman Jersey?
Tip #2: Retail Tags
On an authentic NBA jersey, there will be two tags: one NBA hologram sticker on the left, and one retail tag with a barcode on the right.
Fake jerseys, meanwhile, will have these tags in random spots on the jersey.
On top of this, the NBA hologram sticker won’t even be a hologram on the majority of fake NBA jerseys.
Tip #3: Nike Connect
The Nike Connect tag on the inside of fake NBA jerseys will be warped and use the wrong font and a poorly replicated version of the NBA logo.
You should also turn the jersey inside and out to check if the Nike Connect technology is implanted into the jersey.
The tech looks like a circle where your smartphone is supposed to scan.
If that is not there, you’re looking at a fake NBA jersey.
Tip #4: Fonts and Colors
If you’re buying a jersey second-hand or from a reseller, be sure to pull up the NBA Store and take a good hard look at the exact fonts and colors of the jersey in comparison to the one you’re looking to buy.
A lot of fake NBA jerseys look ‘close enough’ to the authentic, but when you directly compare the two, the difference is pretty noticeable.
A lot of the time counterfeiters just can’t get the right gradient of the jersey correct. Also, read this article titled ‘How To Tell If A NBA Jersey Is Authentic,’ and buy from the NBA stores we highlighted here.
