Are the new Nike NBA jerseys worth it?

With the start of the 2017-2018 NBA regular season, we are all looking forward to buying a jersey to support our favorite teams. A huge change is that Nike is producing the jerseys this year as opposed to Adidas. However, the new jerseys come with a huge catch. Their durability is the equivalent of paper. Five NBA players' jerseys have ripped during games.

This raises the question: Is it still a good idea to buy an NBA jersey? These jerseys have a lot of styles considering they have always been a staple of streetwear. Their biggest upside is the "connected" feature, which pairs the jersey with a smartphone app. This feature allows one to watch highlight videos, get exclusive player content, and get exclusive offers on NBA 2K18.

But, there are many negatives. As previously mentioned, the jerseys are susceptible to tearing. Secondly, they are expensive. An adult sized "Swingman" jersey costs $110, and the "Authentic" jerseys cost $200. Additionally, not every player in the NBA has a jersey that is being sold. There is a likelihood you may not find a jersey for your favorite player. Finally, each team does not have multiple colors for their jerseys being offered. NBA teams often have an "away" color for their jerseys and a "home" color for their jerseys, in addition to many other colors. However, Nike does not yet offer these different colors. Though Nike has stated they are trying to fix these problems, as of now, the jerseys still have these issues.

NBA fans, such as myself, are put between a rock and a hard place. The jerseys tear, but how else may I support my team, materially? Nike has stated they will fix these issues, so I will wait until they have fixed the design of the jerseys. It would break anyone's heart to see their money go to waste.