How NBA jerseys became one of the hottest fashion items in Samoa

Rugby and boxing reign supreme among sports, and yet, Samoa’s fascination with NBA jerseys makes perfect sense.

By Rohit Sudarshan

Originally published at SB Nation.

Samoa is an official Christian state, so religious holidays take on great importance here. Easter Sunday is always a special day.

However, in 2018, the holiday was eagerly anticipated for reasons beyond the celebration of Christ’s resurrection. A major fight featuring Anthony Joshua, a boxer ranked as the top heavyweight, and Joseph Parker, a Kiwi of Samoan origin, was scheduled for Sunday morning local time, corresponding with its primetime showing in Cardiff, England, on Saturday evening.

Samoans normally don white clothing for church services, but instead opted for casual attire as they joined friends and family to watch Parker survive 12 rounds against the favored Joshua in a valiant, but losing, effort. The picture of a young man with the iconic Michael Jordan jersey caught my attention. On official licensed NBA clothing, the section above the number is reserved for the player’s last name. In this case, instead of saying “Jordan,” it merely said “Chicago” on both sides of the jersey.

The evidence was obvious; this jersey was clearly a knock-off.

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This story is part of SB Nation’s celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, in collaboration with Dat Winning.