The '96 Converse denim uniforms need a comeback, and we have the perfect game

The early excitement behind the Mark Pope era of Kentucky Basketball is fueled by nostalgia. From recreating the bus entrance into Rupp Arena to the spotlight on the 1996 banner, all of the vintage t-shirts and memorabilia, the throwback videos on social media, and much more, the Big Blue Nation is enjoying the stroll down memory lane as Kentucky begins its future with a past player as head coach.

Looking toward that future, Kentucky should continue to play up its history and tradition with Pope, the captain of the 1996 national championship team. Fans can expect to see Pope’s UK teammates around the program much more; some may even lend a hand behind the scenes when asked. And, yes, Rick Pitino will be back, too. A home-and-home with St. John’s is in the works.

Another way to stay nostalgic is to wear throwback uniforms. Kentucky rarely mixed up its uniforms until the 1993 look was brought out of the closet in 2023 for its 30th anniversary and again in 2024. Pope’s teams wore some of the most iconic threads in UK Basketball history, including my personal favorite, the Converse 1996 denim blues. Pope and the Untouchables won the ’96 title in the home whites. Pope brought his #41 to his first Kentucky press conference:

Nike bought Converse in 2003, so the denim fabric should still be in a box somewhere in storage. If it’s there, Kentucky will need to pick the game to debut the throwback Converse denim. Let’s look up when Kentucky unveiled the denim during the 1996 season…

…OK, according to several places on the internet, Kentucky first wore the denim uniforms on February 11, 1996, in a home game in Rupp Arena against… oh… Arkansas. Well, there’s an idea. Wear them for the game against John Calipari, who is already 0-1 lifetime against the Converse denim. Pope’s Wildcats beat Calipari’s UMass wearing the all-denims in the 1996 semifinals.

Pope says the fans should decide

On his Monday night call-in radio show, Pope was asked if he had any interest in bringing back the denim uniform. Pope said he liked the Converse uniform when he wore it, but he didn’t like the shoes. As for bringing it back, Pope believes the fans should have a say in all uniform decisions.

“If you ask me, I would think that we should put it in the hands of BBN, and we should put the potential uniforms out there and let you guys vote on them,” he said.

Mark Pope Mixtape.@CoachMarkPope x @UKSportsVideo pic.twitter.com/RUhRUMdMnd

— Kentucky Men’s Basketball (@KentuckyMBB) April 13, 2024

Pitino after Kentucky’s ’96 denim debut

Friend of the program Corey Price dug up an old quote by Rick Pitino from his postgame press conference after Kentucky beat Arkansas, 88-73, in the Wildcats’ new denim. Pitino was asked if the “hoopla” around the new uniforms “overshadowed” the basketball game.

Pitino replied, “That’s the worst question I’ve ever been asked in 21 years of coaching. My players could care less about uniforms. They worry about who they’re playing and whether they’ve got dates lined up when the game’s over. They don’t change anything they do or think about just because they’re wearing denim.”

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