If you only need the short answer: order by the player’s height first, then check the chest number. Our adult basketball jerseys run XS to 6XL, graded for wearers from 170 cm to 220 cm. A 185 cm player takes L, which gives a 77 cm jersey length and a 118 cm chest measured all the way around the garment. Every number below is a garment measurement taken from the finished piece, not a body measurement, and every number is already published on our main sportswear size chart.
This page covers the adult basketball uniform only — jersey and shorts. Basketball is graded differently from soccer, and the differences are large enough to change which size you order, so there is a full comparison further down.
Adult basketball jersey size chart (cm)
| Measurement | XS | S | M | L | XL | 2XL | 3XL | 4XL | 5XL | 6XL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wearer height (cm) | 170–175 | 175–180 | 180–185 | 185–190 | 190–195 | 195–200 | 200–205 | 205–210 | 210–215 | 215–220 |
| Jersey length | 71 | 73 | 75 | 77 | 79 | 81 | 83 | 85 | 87 | 89 |
| Jersey chest (around) | 106 | 110 | 114 | 118 | 122 | 126 | 129 | 132 | 135 | 138 |
| Jersey waist (around) | 98 | 102 | 106 | 110 | 114 | 118 | 122 | 126 | 130 | 138 |
Adult basketball jersey size chart (inches)
The same garment, converted. We manufacture to the centimetre figures, so treat the inch column as a reading aid rather than the production spec.
| Measurement | XS | S | M | L | XL | 2XL | 3XL | 4XL | 5XL | 6XL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wearer height (in) | 66.9–68.9 | 68.9–70.9 | 70.9–72.8 | 72.8–74.8 | 74.8–76.8 | 76.8–78.7 | 78.7–80.7 | 80.7–82.7 | 82.7–84.6 | 84.6–86.6 |
| Jersey length | 28.0 | 28.7 | 29.5 | 30.3 | 31.1 | 31.9 | 32.7 | 33.5 | 34.3 | 35.0 |
| Jersey chest (around) | 41.7 | 43.3 | 44.9 | 46.5 | 48.0 | 49.6 | 50.8 | 52.0 | 53.1 | 54.3 |
| Jersey waist (around) | 38.6 | 40.2 | 41.7 | 43.3 | 44.9 | 46.5 | 48.0 | 49.6 | 51.2 | 54.3 |
Basketball shorts size chart
Shorts are listed with a relaxed waist measurement, meaning the waistband is laid flat and unstretched. It is not the wearer’s waist.
| Measurement | XS | S | M | L | XL | 2XL | 3XL | 4XL | 5XL | 6XL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shorts length (cm) | 51.5 | 53 | 54.5 | 56 | 57.5 | 59 | 60.5 | 62 | 63.5 | 65 |
| Shorts waist, relaxed (cm) | 68.5 | 72 | 75.5 | 79 | 82.5 | 86 | 88.5 | 91 | 93.5 | 96 |
| Shorts length (in) | 20.3 | 20.9 | 21.5 | 22.0 | 22.6 | 23.2 | 23.8 | 24.4 | 25.0 | 25.6 |
| Shorts waist, relaxed (in) | 27.0 | 28.3 | 29.7 | 31.1 | 32.5 | 33.9 | 34.8 | 35.8 | 36.8 | 37.8 |
Note the grading. The jersey gains 2 cm of length per size all the way from XS to 6XL, but the shorts only gain 1.5 cm. Girth moves the other way: shorts waist steps up 3.5 cm per size to 2XL and then 2.5 cm, while the jersey chest steps 4 cm and then 3 cm. The practical consequence is that you should size the jersey and the shorts independently. A tall, slim guard often ends up in an L top and an M bottom, and there is no extra charge for splitting them because we build the order line by line anyway.
Basketball is not graded like soccer, even at the same size label
We publish both charts, so this is easy to check rather than take on trust. The height band behind each label is identical in the two sports — XS is 170–175 cm in both, 6XL is 215–220 cm in both. What changes is the cut.
| Same label | XS | S | M | L | XL | 2XL | 3XL | 4XL | 5XL | 6XL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basketball length | 71 | 73 | 75 | 77 | 79 | 81 | 83 | 85 | 87 | 89 |
| Soccer length | 68 | 70 | 72 | 74 | 76 | 78 | 80 | 82 | 84 | 86 |
| Length difference | +3 | +3 | +3 | +3 | +3 | +3 | +3 | +3 | +3 | +3 |
| Basketball chest | 106 | 110 | 114 | 118 | 122 | 126 | 129 | 132 | 135 | 138 |
| Soccer chest | 102 | 106 | 110 | 114 | 118 | 122 | 126 | 130 | 134 | 138 |
| Chest difference | +4 | +4 | +4 | +4 | +4 | +4 | +3 | +2 | +1 | 0 |
Three things fall out of that table. First, a basketball jersey is 3 cm longer than a soccer jersey at every single size, without exception — that is the tuck-in allowance for a sleeveless top worn over shorts. Second, it is 4 cm wider in the chest up to 2XL, then the gap closes to +3, +2, +1 and finally 0 at 6XL. Third, the waist figures are identical in both sports at every size.
The converging chest is the interesting one. Above 2XL the basketball chart keeps adding 2 cm of length per size but drops to 3 cm of chest per size, while soccer stays at 4 cm. In other words, our large basketball sizes are built for players who are taller, not simply broader. That matches who actually wears them. If you are ordering for a broad rather than tall player at 3XL and above, order to the chest number and expect the length to be generous, or ask us to shorten the body — we grade to a customer spec sheet at no extra charge.
One number worth confirming before you order 6XL
The jersey waist column steps up in clean 4 cm increments from XS to 5XL — 98, 102, 106, 110, 114, 118, 122, 126, 130 — and then jumps 8 cm to 138 at 6XL. Every other column in the chart holds its grading rule at that step. We would rather point this out than let you discover it on a delivered garment, so if your order includes 6XL, ask us to confirm the waist in writing on the quote. The same step appears in the soccer chart, which suggests it is a shared block rather than a transcription error, but confirm it anyway.
How to use these numbers without measuring 12 people
The reliable method: measure a jersey that already fits
Lay a basketball jersey the player already likes flat on a table. Measure from the highest point of the shoulder straight down to the hem for length, then across the chest one inch below the armhole and double it. Match those two numbers to the chart. This beats measuring bodies, because it captures how the player wants the shirt to sit rather than how big they are.
The height column is a starting point, not a rule
Height is the fastest sorting tool for a squad, which is why it is the first row. It is not the deciding number. A 190 cm forward who wants a loose fit and a 190 cm guard who wants it close to the body are both in the XL band but will not want the same shirt. When the two disagree, follow the chest measurement.
European grading runs about one size smaller
These are EU-graded patterns. Against a US domestic sportswear brand they run roughly one size small, so a buyer who wears L in a US retail brand usually wants XL here. Anyone converting from a US catalogue should shift the whole order up one label and then sanity-check the chest figures.
Sizing a 12-player roster
The right answer is always to collect sizes from players. If you genuinely cannot — a new programme, a rebrand, a school ordering before tryouts — the table below is a defensible starting split rather than measured data, and we have labelled it that way deliberately. The reasoning is simply that basketball rosters skew taller than a general adult population, so the curve sits one label higher than it would for a soccer club.
| Size | Senior men (12) | Senior women (12) | Mixed rec league (12) |
|---|---|---|---|
| S | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| M | 2 | 4 | 3 |
| L | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| XL | 4 | 2 | 3 |
| 2XL | 2 | 0 | 1 |
Two practical points. Our minimum is 10 pieces per design, not 10 per size, so a 12-piece order spread across five sizes is completely normal and costs no more than 12 pieces in one size. And because names and numbers are printed as part of the sublimation process, a per-player size list carries no surcharge — send it as a spreadsheet with name, number and size in three columns.
If you are ordering for a whole club rather than one team, add roughly one spare in the two most common sizes. Mid-season replacements are the single most common reorder we handle, and a reorder of one or two shirts pays freight on a tiny shipment.
Youth and junior basketball
The chart on this page is adult only. Its smallest size, XS, is graded for a 170–175 cm wearer, which already excludes most under-14 players. For juniors we grade to your measurements rather than guessing from an adult block, and we will send the youth measurement sheet in writing before you commit. The published size chart page carries our youth soccer uniform table, which is a reasonable reference for body length and chest on a young athlete, but a basketball cut is longer and looser and we will not ask you to infer one from the other.
Custom sizing, minimums and samples
- Minimum order: 10 pieces per design, in any mix of sizes.
- Custom grading: send your own spec sheet and we will grade to it at no extra charge.
- Written measurements: we will send pattern measurements for any size in writing before you order.
- Sample first: a pre-production sample takes 5–7 days for jerseys, and buying one shirt in the middle size is the cheapest insurance available on a squad order.
- Bulk lead time: 15–20 days after sample approval for a standard sublimated uniform.
- Tolerance: 1–3 cm on any measurement, which is the normal allowance for manual measurement of cut-and-sew garments.
Frequently asked questions
What size basketball jersey should I order for a 185 cm player?
L. Our adult basketball L is graded for a wearer of 185–190 cm and gives a 77 cm jersey length with a 118 cm chest measured around the finished garment. If that player prefers a close fit, check the chest figure against a jersey they already own before deciding.
Are these body measurements or garment measurements?
They are garment measurements taken from the finished piece. Rows marked (around) are the full circumference of the garment, not a half-flat figure, and not the wearer’s body. Allow 1–3 cm for manual measurement.
Do your basketball jerseys run small?
They are graded to European sizing, which runs roughly one size smaller than a US domestic sportswear brand. A buyer who takes L in a US retail brand usually wants XL from us. Against European brands they run true to size.
Can I order the jersey and the shorts in different sizes?
Yes, and it is common. The jersey and shorts grade at different rates, so a tall slim player frequently needs an L top and an M bottom. Send a per-player list and there is no surcharge for mixing.
What is the largest basketball size you make?
The published chart runs to 6XL, graded for a 215–220 cm wearer with a 138 cm chest and an 89 cm body length. We can grade larger than that to a spec sheet, but it becomes a custom pattern rather than a stock size.
Do you make youth basketball uniforms?
Yes, but we grade them to your measurements rather than publishing a stock youth basketball block. Ask us for the youth measurement sheet and we will send it in writing before you order.
How accurate are these measurements?
Within 1–3 cm. These are cut-and-sew garments measured by hand, and that tolerance is stated on every chart we publish. If a specific measurement is critical for your order, tell us which one and we will hold a tighter tolerance on it.
Where to go next
The full set of tables, including baseball, jackets, track pants and youth sizes, lives on our sportswear size chart. For fabric weights, printing methods and pricing on this category, read the custom basketball uniforms guide, or go straight to the custom basketball uniforms page.
Comparing sports before you commit: the soccer jersey size chart holds the numbers used in the comparison above. For budgeting, the team uniform cost and MOQ guide gives current price bands, and shipping cost and import duty covers what lands on top of the unit price in your market.
All measurements on this page are taken from the size charts published on eliian.com and were last reviewed on 11 August 2026. Ask us for written pattern measurements before you place a bulk order.