The NBA has denied reports on eliminating pregame fashion statements over safety concerns in the league’s bubble environment.
NBA players have not shied away from their displeasure with the league’s bubble rules these past few weeks, and the newest proclamation regarding fashion attire only fueled it further. However, it appears that less than a day later that the initial report was false.
ESPN’s Nick DePaula wrote an article Sunday detailing a new protocol implemented by the league stating that players must arrive at games already in their uniforms and warm-ups, ready to play. According to the report, the league established this ruling to ensure safety.
"“One key element that led to the change, sources told ESPN, is the fact that team locker rooms on site are not equipped with showers. To minimize the chances of players changing in close quarters before and after games at the venue, without showering, the decision was made to instead have them arrive ready to play in order to prioritize sanitization measures and social distancing amid the coronavirus pandemic.”"
The ruling seemed outlandish from the start because even if players wear their uniforms to the game, social distancing is still impossible in the game itself. On Monday, DePaula wrote another article detailing how his initial report was incorrect, potentially to the joy of players.
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P.J. Tucker of the Houston Rockets, one of the league’s most fashion-oriented players, could only laugh when he heard the original news.
“That is crazy,” Tucker said with a laugh. “I think that takes away [from] originally what getting dressed was all about. It wasn’t even about the tunnel walk, it was more about getting dressed up and going to work. To me, it’s like a mindset, getting dressed and getting ready to go to my game. It puts me in the mindset that I’m ready to work and helps me find my focus.”
“Getting dressed at the hotel now will feel like an AAU tournament,” Tucker said. “It’s AAU Nationals, it’s the Nike Super Showcase and one of those [tournaments] that we used to play in back in the day. I’m not feeling it. It just doesn’t feel NBA to me, but it is what it is.”
Tucker was not the only member of the Rockets that might have had an issue with this new rule, as the team’s MVP duo of James Harden and Russell Westbrook have always been outspoken about their fashion choices. Witnessing the two arrive in their pregame outfits was always quite the spectacle, never displaying a dull outfit, even if most could never picture themselves wearing it. As Mark Anthony Green of GQ put it, “The sartorial spectacle currently known as the Houston Rockets is almost as fun as watching them play.”
Seeing Harden and Westbrook arrive at the game in their uniforms rather than their typical snakeskin jackets or safety vests would have undoubtedly been a bland change.
With the ruling apparently a big mishap, the league made the right call in letting players express themselves pregame. Off-court fashion is a growing trend in the NBA today, and while most fans might not care, there is a surprising number that do. Via ESPN:
"“The fashion aspect of the NBA opened the door to a lot of casual fans. It was the hook for a brand-new audience,” said Ian Pierno, creative producer and manager of SLAM’s LeagueFits social media account. “It was something dope to look at and something to discuss, even if you don’t understand how to calculate PER.”"
Whether an individual turns on the television for the games or the fashion, the NBA is back in all its glory in just a few more weeks.