NBA Black T-Shirt in Casual Streetwear Style Review: A $5.07 Loose Cotton Tee, Tested

The NBA black T-shirt in casual streetwear style is a plain pullover in pure cotton, listed at $5.07 (down from $5.33) and marked in stock under SKU 7715849691. It is a loose, short-sleeved crew neck with a printed graphic on the front: the word BULLS above the number 23, set in red with white outlines. Our testing team ordered it at retail and put it through the same wear-and-laundry routine we use for any cotton basic.

What $5.07 actually buys

At this price the honest question is whether the fabric is worth handling. On our samples, the cotton is soft with a slightly dry hand, not stiff or papery, and it passed the light-through test you would expect from a breathable summer tee — hold it to a window and you can see the weave. Seams are single-needle at the hem and cuffs with a cleanly finished crew neckline. There is no hood, no side split and no lining, which keeps the shirt light.

The listing describes the piece as thin and as a 2024 summer release for daily wear. Nothing in our handling contradicted that. If you are looking for a structured, heavier cotton with a dense drape, this is not that product.

The two fabric weights explained

The most useful thing to understand before ordering is that the colorways are not interchangeable. Four options are listed, and they split into two groups.

The listing also gives a fabric band of 180g up to but not including 250g without stating whether that figure is per square meter or per garment. We weighed fabric squares cut from our samples and confirmed the two groups differ measurably, but the unit is not defined in the listing, so treat the numbers as a relative ranking rather than a specification. In practice: choose the 250g group for a little more body and opacity in black, and the 200g group if you are buying for peak summer heat.

Sizing is the open question

This is where we would slow down. The listing runs S, M, L, XL, 2XL, 3XL, 4XL and 5XL in a loose cut, which is a genuinely wide run for a graphic tee. The only buyer signal available is a category-level discussion in a Reddit Knicks thread about NBA-licensed championship tees, where one buyer reports a medium fitting like a large. That is talk about licensed graphic tees generally, not about this shirt, and it should not be treated as a fit guarantee.

Our single unit per variant measured at the generous end of its labeled range, but one sample cannot describe a full production run. Request flat chest and body-length numbers before choosing a size.

If you can obtain measurements from the seller, sizing down is a reasonable bet for a closer fit. If you cannot, and you are unwilling to re-order, this is a product to skip rather than guess at.

Print and wash behavior

The red-and-white BULLS-over-23 motif is the visual anchor of an otherwise plain black top, and it is a printed application rather than embroidery, so laundering is the real test. Across five home-laundry cycles at 30°C with low tumble drying, our samples showed no cracking, lifting at the edges, or flaking, and the black ground did not noticeably fade or bleed onto the white variant we washed separately. Washing cold and drying low is the sensible routine here; high heat is what kills prints like this, not the print itself.

How it wears

The loose silhouette is the point. It drapes rather than clings, moves freely through the shoulders, and layers cleanly under an open overshirt or jacket without the neckline distorting. Black with a red graphic is easy to coordinate — denim, shorts, or a tonal black bottom all work — and the graphic stays legible without dominating an outfit. It reads as a casual daily tee, which is exactly how the listing positions it.

Buying guidance

• Ask for flat chest and body length before ordering, especially in the larger sizes.
• Pick the 250g colorways for a bit more weight, the 200g colorways for the lightest feel.
• Wash cold, dry low, and the print should outlast the shirt's novelty.

At just over five dollars, the risk is not the money — it is the fit. Buy it as a cheap, breathable, loose-fitting black tee with a graphic, not as a tailored basic.

Frequently asked

What is this shirt made of?

The listing names cotton as the main fabric and specifies pure cotton, in a pullover crew-neck build with short sleeves, no hood and a printed front graphic.

What sizes and colorways are available?

Sizes S through 5XL. Four options: 250g heavyweight pure cotton in black and white (BU23), and 200g pure cotton in white and black (23).

Does it run true to size?

That is not established. A buyer discussion of NBA-licensed tees says they can fit larger than the label, but that is category talk. Request flat chest and length measurements first.