Logan Mertz

NBA players use fashion just like everyone else-as a way to express themselves freely and in a fun, unique way. Unfortunately, the NBA has had a long past in not upholding strict, unreasonable dress codes on NBA players, so they stay monotonic and   has long been known for having unreasonably strict dress codes for players in the past. According to Cam Wolf’s GQ article, “NBA Players Can Now Wear the Coolest Sneakers in the World-On the Court,” “in the ‘80s, when Jordan’s shoes were allegedly banned, the NBA required players to wear shoes that were a majority white or black, with the option to include a small accent in a team color.” Then in 2005, a dress updated dress code was released across the NBA by David Stern. According to ESPN, the Associated press said that players were “expected to wear business casual attire whenever they participate in team or league activities, including arriving at games, leaving games, conducting interviews and making promotional or other appearances.” Many players responded with disapproval, understandably. In the words of Paul Pierce, according to Ball is Life writer David Astramskas in his article, “The NBA Dress Code of 2005: Why It Was Created & How Players Reacted To It,” “They don’t want your chains to be out, all gaudy and shiny. But that’s the point of them…I love wearing my jewelry. But I love my job I love playing basketball more than I love getting fined and getting suspended.

Flash forward to now, and it seems as though dress code as completely flopped sides. Players are now showing up to games wearing whatever they want, from sweats and sandals to custom suite apparel, to famous streetwear apparel. For the past couple of years now, Recaps of the games often begin by highlighting Player’s attire as they enter into the arena. In addition, NBA talk show Inside the NBA often makes fun of player’s weird fashion statements, as you can see here. According to GQ, Calyann Barnett, A stylist who works with Dwayne Wade, “This is another conduit for players to express their personal style on the court and make headlines for something other than a game-winning play.” To add to the excitement of self-expression, the NBA is now allowing NBA players to wear sneakers of any color and any combination they want, according to ESPN writer Nick DePaula in his article, NBA Players get green light to wear sneaker color of choice throughout 2018-19”, a very refreshing contrast to the previously discussed shoe rule that took place in the ‘80s. Only a week or two into the season, and players are already wearing fun color combos, often not having any correlation to their team colors, such as Damian Lillard’s recently, as seen here.

NBA’s updated dress codes are heading in the right direction, as it is showcasing each player’s uniqueness and personality that you don’t often see while they’re on the court.

Here’s a collection of some of the most prominent outfits from recent NBA players.