The Indiana Pacers will wear bring back their “Flo-Jo” throwback uniforms for select games this season. The first appearance will come tomorrow night against the Detroit Pistons.
All this got me wondering: Where do these uniforms rank with the other uniforms that the Pacers have worn all-time?
The Indiana Pacers aren’t the Chicago Bulls or Boston Celtics. They haven’t kept the same style throughout their history, instead donning a few different uniforms since joining the NBA.
To be exact, they’ve had six different uniform sets since joining the NBA in 1976, according to SportsLogos.net.
Let’s see where each of those six uniform sets rank all-time.
Next: Number 6
#6: 1981 to 1984
There’s a reason why these uniforms didn’t last very long: they’re awful.
Most junior varsity jerseys look creative by comparison, and even the team must have known they weren’t working. Because they were so bad that the Pacers even tried re-designing the home uniforms — going gold instead of white — two years after introducing them.
And it still didn’t work out, so they scraped the whole thing and went to a new design the following season.
The uniform has an ugly and bland jersey design and it’s fitting that the image here just says “Player,” since this looks like a cookie-cutter jersey fit for the an away team in Teen Wolf.
The jersey could have been saved if they used stripes on the side of the jersey, but instead it was just boring and plain.
The shorts weren’t better either. The only color was on the waist and the bottom lining. And the logo on the mid-thigh — who puts a logo in that spot? — didn’t make it any better either.
These were just awful uniforms, and the quick change was necessary.
(All images courtesy of SportsLogos.net)
Next: Number 5
#5: 1985 to 1990
These uniforms look really odd. It seems like they tried to make them look futuristic in a Tron-like way, yet their old, ABA logo they had been using for many decades is still on them. And that makes them look like they are from two different eras — neither of which I would want to buy clothes in.
Ultimately, that’s what did them in: The old logo on the shorts really held these uniforms back.
The shade choice of the colors was odd too, if both the blue and the yellow was darker, it would’ve been a whole lot better. I like the jersey design, but different color shades would have been nice.
The shorts are very similar to the previous design, which is a bit bland. The logo placement is certainly an improvement, too, but overall the logo just shouldn’t be there. It really ruins it.
Additionally, these jerseys say “PACERS” on both the home and away jerseys. Usually, the team has had “PACERS” on the home uniforms and “INDIANA” on the road versions. That doesn’t necessarily make these any worse, but it does show the limitation of the design and that the style wasn’t adaptable.
Overall, these uniforms just seemed strange to me, and the different parts of the uniform didn’t fit together.
Next: Number 4
#4: 1977 to 1981
A lot of fans don’t even remember these jerseys. Then again why would you?
These were the original uniforms that the Pacers used when they got into the NBA, and the design team got a little too creative in areas that probably didn’t need it.
Most obviously, they used the team’s logo for the “P” in Pacers on the home jerseys, and it really ruined the design.
Otherwise, the font was slick. And while the number styling is the same football-looking design that the team had in all three of its first three uniforms, it still works since its a classic look.
You can tell just how much the logo in the P ruined things by looking at the road version.
That’s much better. A darker blue would have really made these look sweet, but even the lighter color that the team preferred then is a big improvement on the hokey home catastrophes.
The stripes that go from the jersey down to the shorts were sleek, too, and made this uniform much more creative than its predecessor.
But even with that, it is a little dull looking back on it from today’s perspective — even if it probably was a pretty cool uniform back in the day.
Next: Number 3
#3: 2006 to Present
These uniforms are flat-out cool — but for some reason many fans disagree.
The yellow, white, and silver stripe down the sides really makes the jersey. If you put this next to all the other NBA uniforms, it may not stand out immediately, but the stripes really keep it alive. And the way they taper up under the arms makes for a good look.
Especially when Paul George is doing stuff like this and showing off the uniform from all four sides.
Sure, PG could make a potato sack look good while throwing down a 360 windmill, but still. This one looks nice in motion.
The “Pacers” on the home jersey and “Indiana” on the roadies also comes in a solid font that you don’t see too often. Same goes for the player names and especially the numbers.
The shorts do their job well, too, by continuing the side stripes and while also having either “Indiana” or “Pacers” on the rear end. I find that a bit odd but it’s whatever I guess and those who like to spend time looking there might enjoy them.
And putting the alternate logo on the sides of the shorts was a good choice. It really makes the shorts.
Piecing it all together, it isn’t a bad uniform. But since the Pacers M.O. has been mixing it up, it certainly is time for a change.
Next: Number 2
#2: 1991 to 1997
I was really conflicted between putting the “Flo-Jo” uniforms first or in the second spot. It was really close, and it pains me to put them as runners up.
So named for their creator — track star Florence Griffith-Joyner — I love the design of these uniforms. The sides really were amazing, and especially on the road versions, the yellow and white really gave the uniforms that “wow” factor.
Not only did they have this on the jersey, but the shorts had it as well and that was awesome.
The new logo was in great placement on the shorts, and you can see how much better everything began to look once the franchise embraced the darker blue. They haven’t deviated back to a lighter shade since launching the Flo Jos and its obvious why.
With a drop shadow style on the team name and numbers, the font does look dated now. But it was in fashion at the time, and while it probably wouldn’t fly today, that look does help place these in a specific era.
And, yes, it definitely helps that this was the era when the franchise first became relevant in the NBA before rising into one of the most successful teams since that point. Really, how can any Pacers fan not love the jerseys they were wearing when things like this happened?
It’s true: Without the Flo Jo era, this blog would have a different name.
Overall this was a sensational uniform, and I have nothing bad to say about it.
Next: Number 1
#1: 1998 to 2005
Oh, the pinstripes. The glorious pinstripes.
Many people like these uniforms because of the memories — like that one NBA Finals appearance. And those were some good times (until the Brawl) for the franchise, but I’m basing this solely off appearance.
You need look no further than the Yankees or the Penny/Shaq-era Orlando Magic to see that pinstripes can make any uniform look good.
But this design added even more elements that really made a stunning look.
The side yellow stripe added a lot, and the waistband and bottom trim on the shorts really made the whole thing look clean. It may have bordered on having too much going on, but it really just worked.
These were also the first uniforms that actually had the logo on the side of the shorts, and it’s no accident that the current ones kept this stylistic feature. Whatever the Pacers do in the future, they should make this a staple of the franchise going forward.
The jersey was the head turner, though, and they used a great font that blended well with the rest of the jersey and the shorts.
This is the best jersey in Pacers history.