MEARS was recently asked to examine a 1981-84 Celtics home jersey of NBA legend Larry Bird.

The home cheese cloth jersey, a fabric common to 1970s and 1980s Celtics uniforms, features both Sand-Knit tags customary for Celtics jerseys of the era: a size 46 manufacturer’s label and the standard Exclusive tag that appears in most Sand-Knit NBA jerseys. The design of the tags, and the reference to Medalist (as opposed to MacGregor) Sand-Knit puts the dating of the jersey in the 1981-84 range, as Celtics jerseys of this era are not known to carry any year, set, or player ID tagging.

Measurements come out at 21 1/2 inches for the chest, and 28 1/2 inches for the torso, not a match to a size 46 with untagged extra length, but acceptable as the cheese cloth fabric was routinely subject to shrinkage.

The team name, arched NOB, and numbers are consistent in size and appearance with database exemplars as well as Corbis photo images U2125857 and U2110513. Character measurements include team name = 3 7/8 inches; NOB = 2 7/8 inches; front numbers = 5 13/16 inches, and back numbers = 7 13/16 inches.

Moderate to heavy wear is evidenced, although no abrasions or repairs appear on the fabric. Based on these factors, the Bird jersey has received a final MEARS grade of A10, unimprovable for an early 1980s superstar jersey.

MEARS was recently asked to examine a 1981-84 Celtics home jersey of NBA legend Larry Bird.

The home cheese cloth jersey, a fabric common to 1970s and 1980s Celtics uniforms, features both Sand-Knit tags customary for Celtics jerseys of the era: a size 46 manufacturer’s label and the standard Exclusive tag that appears in most Sand-Knit NBA jerseys. The design of the tags, and the reference to Medalist (as opposed to MacGregor) Sand-Knit puts the dating of the jersey in the 1981-84 range, as Celtics jerseys of this era are not known to carry any year, set, or player ID tagging.

Measurements come out at 21 1/2 inches for the chest, and 28 1/2 inches for the torso, not a match to a size 46 with untagged extra length, but acceptable as the cheese cloth fabric was routinely subject to shrinkage.

The team name, arched NOB, and numbers are consistent in size and appearance with database exemplars as well as Corbis photo images U2125857 and U2110513. Character measurements include team name = 3 7/8 inches; NOB = 2 7/8 inches; front numbers = 5 13/16 inches, and back numbers = 7 13/16 inches.

Moderate to heavy wear is evidenced, although no abrasions or repairs appear on the fabric. Based on these factors, the Bird jersey has received a final MEARS grade of A10, unimprovable for an early 1980s superstar jersey.

Recently, MEARS examined a 1969-70 New York Knicks home jersey of team legend Willis Reed.

Made out of durene, the standard fabric for NBA jerseys of the era, the jersey was lacking a manufacturer’s tag, but size and placement of visible remnants indicate the jersey being issued by Cosby, the Knicks’ uniform supplier of the era, and later the local lettering/numbering stop for Sand-Knit uniforms the Knicks wore.

The size tag was intact, indicating the jersey to be a 48. Extra length was evident, but untagged. These specs would be consistent with a player who stood 6-9 and weighed 235, bulkier dimensions than many other NBA players.

Measurements of the jersey came in at 21 inches for the chest, and 30 1/2 inches for the torso…smaller than tagged, but explainable due to the shrinkage common for durene and cheese cloth jerseys of this era and later.

Year, set and player ID tagging is not present, but this is normal for nearly all pre-1987 Knicks jerseys from Cosby and Sand-Knit.

Size specs for the NOB, team name and numbers were consistent with exemplars (NEW YORK = 3 inches; NOB = 2 3/4 inches; front number = 5 15/16 inches, back number same). The vertical arch of the NOB matches other Knicks exemplars of the era.

The jersey displays consistent, moderate use, with several tiny holes in the durene fabric. Additional written provenance dates the jersey to the memorable 1969-70 season.

This jersey received a final MEARS grade of A8, with one grading point subtracted for the missing Cosby tag, and an additional point subtracted for the minor damage to the durene jersey shell.

Recently, MEARS examined a 1969-70 New York Knicks home jersey of team legend Willis Reed.

Made out of durene, the standard fabric for NBA jerseys of the era, the jersey was lacking a manufacturer’s tag, but size and placement of visible remnants indicate the jersey being issued by Cosby, the Knicks’ uniform supplier of the era, and later the local lettering/numbering stop for Sand-Knit uniforms the Knicks wore.

The size tag was intact, indicating the jersey to be a 48. Extra length was evident, but untagged. These specs would be consistent with a player who stood 6-9 and weighed 235, bulkier dimensions than many other NBA players.

Measurements of the jersey came in at 21 inches for the chest, and 30 1/2 inches for the torso…smaller than tagged, but explainable due to the shrinkage common for durene and cheese cloth jerseys of this era and later.

Year, set and player ID tagging is not present, but this is normal for nearly all pre-1987 Knicks jerseys from Cosby and Sand-Knit.

Size specs for the NOB, team name and numbers were consistent with exemplars (NEW YORK = 3 inches; NOB = 2 3/4 inches; front number = 5 15/16 inches, back number same). The vertical arch of the NOB matches other Knicks exemplars of the era.

The jersey displays consistent, moderate use, with several tiny holes in the durene fabric. Additional written provenance dates the jersey to the memorable 1969-70 season.

This jersey received a final MEARS grade of A8, with one grading point subtracted for the missing Cosby tag, and an additional point subtracted for the minor damage to the durene jersey shell.