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Basketball Tue Nov 20 2012
Has Proviso East Ditched Their Iconic Sleeved Basketball Jerseys?
Few Chicago-area boys basketball programs have had the sustained success of Maywood's Proviso East. The Pirates have won four state titles and produced NBA talents like Shannon Brown, Michael Finley, and current Celtics head coach Doc Rivers. But while Proviso East's excellence is recognized throughout the state, they're also known for something else: their sleeved jerseys. Goofy, ill-fitting, and not really old or new school, the t-shirt jersey has long confounded Chicago hoops fans.
But according to a tweet by City/Suburban Hoops Report editor Joe Henricksen last night, it seems the Pirates no longer have the strangest uniforms in the area. If true, my feelings are mixed. On the one hand, I'm happy for the players -- no one looked comfortable or cool in those jerseys. But on the other hand, it's the end of an era -- one of my fondest childhood hoops memories was watching the perennially disappointing seven-footer Steven Hunter don the t-shirt.
If the 2012-2013 Pirates are as good as most expect them to be, no one -- myself included -- will be reminiscing about old jerseys for very long. They went 32-1 last year, finished second in the state in 4A, and bring back star seniors Sterling Brown (headed to Southern Methodist) and Paris Lee (Illinois State). The Pirates beat down Metea 74-45 in their sleeveless debut.
Photo by Darrell Goemaat/Chicago Tribune
