NBA superfan, Brad Parker, and his substantial jersey collection.
If NBA superfan, Brad Parker, were to lay out every NBA jersey in his collection — it would fill every square inch of his New York bedroom — potentially even his entire apartment.
“I’m very lucky that my parents live only 40 minutes away on Long Island. I have over 200 jerseys there. It’s impossible to keep them all here,” Parker said. “Open my closet — it’s literally jerseys on jerseys. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Parker’s collection is nearing 300, and includes every iconic, obscure and classic jersey you could want — from a Michael Jordan #45 Bulls jersey to a Kobe Bryant Minneapolis Lakers jersey, and even a ‘Big Country’ Bryant Reeves Vancouver Grizzlies jersey.
“I would wear an NBA jersey every day if I could. The day I get married, I would love to wear one of my favorite ones under my tuxedo,” Parker said.
December 14th is NBA Jersey Day, an annual celebration where fans around the world can pay tribute to their favorite teams, players and threads by wearing jerseys from across the rich history of the association.
How better to celebrate this year’s Jersey Day with a fan who boasts one of the most intriguing jersey collections you’ve ever seen?
For Parker, a love of jerseys started with a love for the NBA. He started building his collection while he was in elementary school in the 1990s.
Brad Parker wears the first jersey he ever received, a Kobe Bryant No.8.
“I can’t blame anyone besides my father. He put a ball in my hand and had me watch Michael Jordan VHS tapes,” Parker said. “Basketball is not just a sport for me — it’s a way of life. I eat, sleep and breathe the NBA.”
The first jersey Parker ever received was on his sixth birthday — a Kobe Bryant Lakers jersey. He still has it today.
“I can’t even get it over one of my legs now, but it’s on my ceiling.”
Once Parker got his first jersey, his collection grew exponentially, along with his dreams of playing professional basketball. After the Kobe jersey came a Michael Jordan Bulls jersey, then a Larry Bird Celtics jersey and a Grant Hill teal Pistons jersey.
Parker loved how he felt like he became the player once he put their jersey on.
“I’d go out in the driveway in my Vince Carter jersey and lower the hoop to try out his dunks. Obviously, I couldn’t do them, let alone palm a ball, but there was something about putting on a player’s jersey and trying to emulate their moves after watching them play, and that’s when I really fell in love with collecting jerseys,” Parker said.
Highlights Of Brad Parker’s Jersey Collection:
Most Iconic: Michael Jordan #45 Bulls Jersey
Most Obscure: Dennis Rodman Spurs Jersey
Favorite Jersey: Bryant Reeves Vancouver Grizzlies Jersey & Kevin Garnett Timberwolves Jersey
Rarest: Michael Olowokandi Clippers Jersey
He quickly became known as the kid who wore a jersey to elementary school every day.
“I used to wear a matching headband with a different jersey every day, and it became a thing. My classmates would ask ‘what jersey is Brad going to wear today?’ It became a conversation piece, but also a way to express myself. The girls made fun of me though for sure.”
As a kid, his fondest memories were going to the NBA Store once a year with his aunt who lived in New York City.
“She would say ‘guys, you have 20 minutes to pick your favorite jersey and I will buy it for you,’ and we would run around that store like a chicken with its head cut off. It was my favorite day of the year.”
Once he reached high school and college and made his own money, Parker turned to eBay and thrift shopping to add to his collection. This helped him find jerseys that were rare and obscure to add to his collection instead of the classics. He’d check eBay as early as 3 a.m. and put bids into any unique jerseys he could find, and dig through piles of donated clothing at thrift stores to find jerseys that were given away.
“One man’s trash is another man’s treasure,” Parker laughed. “I turned my living arrangements into a mini ‘Basketball Hall Of Fame’ with all the jerseys in my collection. It’s like artwork to me putting all these jerseys together on my walls.”
Parker did not end up fulfilling his dreams of playing professional basketball, but he does work as a content creator at The Score, a sports media company.
His unique jersey collection and persona has helped him even go viral a few times — including a time he surprised his mom by decorating his whole house in jerseys, and another time when Dwyane Wade played basketball with him while he wore a rare Steve Novak jersey. Novak was Wade’s teammate at Marquette University.
@therealbradparker How to piss off your mom! 😂 #nba #wholenewgame #nbamoments #fyp #foryourpage #basketball #foryou #yourpage
After all of these years, when Parker gets a new jersey for his collection, the feeling is still just as strong — he refers to it as an ‘out-of-body’ experience. His unique jerseys have also helped him meet plenty of NBA fans over the years since they are always a conversation starter.
Parker in particular loves NBA Jersey Day, because it allows fans to feel like they are connected to the league.
“It’s a day dedicated to the fans, where fans can throw on a jersey and feel like they are Damian Lillard or LeBron James on the court. It’s really special.”
Parker’s collection is not complete — and likely never will be. His next targets are a Dennis Rodman Lakers jersey, a Rasheed Wallace Hawks jersey and a Gheorghe Muresan Washington Bullets jersey.
“Jerseys are truly a passion of mine. People have passion for a lot of things in life, but not too many people have an insane amount of jerseys. “I’m proud of my collection.”
Brad Parker’s All-Time Jersey List:
Most Iconic Jersey: Toronto Raptors Dino Jersey (1995-99)
Best All-Star Jersey: San Antonio All-Star Jersey (1996)
Current Favorite Team Jersey: Memphis Grizzlies Jersey
Favorite Old-School Jersey: Denver Nuggets Rainbow Skyline Jersey (1985-93)
Favorite 2022-23 City Edition Jersey: San Antonio Spurs
