Chicago Bulls dropped a masterclass in how to play the game of nostalgia this week and it hit us right where we wanted it to. No overthinking. No need for a big explainer. Just Dennis Rodman, the man, the myth, the legend himself, standing there in the black pinstripe ‘95-96 jersey like nothing’s changed.
And honestly, it kind of hasn’t (a sponsor logo or two aside).
That Bulls season was a chapter in basketball history. 72 wins. Jordan at his peak. Pippen doing it all. Rodman being Rodman. Every kid on the playground wanted that jersey. Every sports shop had it behind glass like it was gold.
Now it’s back. And it still feels important.
What makes this drop so smart is how little they tried to dress it up. The Bulls just brought it home. They didn’t modernise the look (it was already 30 years ahead of the game). They didn’t mess with the energy. They knew what they were sitting on and let the moment breathe. Something most teams seem to still not embrace.
Rodman as the face makes perfect sense. He was the wild card, the rebel, the one nobody could predict. But he always showed up. And in a world full of polished sports stars with polished brand deals, there’s something refreshing about letting someone like him lead the way.
This kind of nostalgia doesn’t work unless you mean it. Too many brands treat old designs like a ‘cheat code’. They lift old logos, dig out archive photos, and think that’s enough. But this feels different. It’s not just retro. It’s intentional. It taps into an era and everything that came with it.
From a brand lens, it’s a reminder that your best stories never go out of style. You just need to know how to tell them again. What the Bulls have done here is build a bridge between memory and relevance. It doesn’t feel forced. It just feels right.
And culturally, the timing couldn’t be better. The 90s are still having a moment. Not in a trend-chasing way, but in a deeper way. People want to connect with what felt real. What had weight. What had character. This jersey has all of that.
The truth is, there’s a reason we keep looking back. Some things just had more soul. More texture. More identity. The Bulls drop hasn’t tried to manufacture that it just reminded us of it.
No campaign slogans. No limited-edition hype. Just a legendary player in a legendary kit from a legendary team.
Sometimes that’s all you need.
Shot of the good stuff
