Why Did NBA Shorts Get Longer?
Basketball shorts in the NBA were VERY short in the beginning but why did NBA shorts get longer? NBA shorts got longer because Michael Jordan asked his manufacturer for longer shorts in order to be more comfortable on the court. After Michael Jordan started wearing longer and baggier shorts, the rest of the NBA started to adopt longer shorts and moved away from short shorts.
Basketball shorts in the NBA have evolved through out the years. It has mostly followed trends, usually the result of what’s popular at the time or the actions of a popular person.
Today, most basketball players wear longer basketball shorts.
This isn’t the first time Michael Jordan started a trend. Michael Jordan has had a huge influence on sneaker culture, especially with his Air Jordan sneakers.
You can click HERE to see Michael Jordan’s first Air Jordan sneakers.
Who Started the Short Shorts In Basketball?
Why were NBA shorts so short? People started wearing short shorts in basketball because it fit the fashion style of the 70s and 80s. The uniforms were tighter and shorts were small during those decades. This style was trendy and this trend became a norm in the NBA for a while.
Why Did Michael Jordan Wear Baggy Shorts?
Michael Jordan started wearing longer baggy shorts because he wanted to wear his University of North Carolina shorts under his uniform.
Jordan was also constantly grabbing his shorts when he was fatigued so longer basketball shorts made him more comfortable.
Michael Jordan’s Time at University of North Carolina
Jordan went to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and really broke out as a basketball player during his tenure there. He was named ACC Freshman of the year. He also made the game winning shot in the 1982 NCAA Championship game against Georgetown, which was led by future New York star Patrick Ewing. Furthermore, Jordan won Naismith and the Wooden College Player of the Year awards in 1984. In other words, Michael Jordan accomplished many things at the University of North Carolina and had a lot of good memories there. This is why wearing his University of North Carolina shorts was important to him and he believed it brought him good luck.
Michael Jordan Reaches Out to Manufacturing Company for Longer Shorts
Shortly after Michael Jordan got into the NBA in the mid 80s, he wanted to wear his University of North Carolina shorts under his Chicago Bulls shorts. The issue was that the Bulls shorts were too tight and short so it was difficult to fit both shorts. So he had to have longer shorts with room to fit his University of North Carolina shorts. In order to get this done. He contacted the manufacturing company, Champion.
What Was Champion’s Role?
Champion is an American manufacturer of clothing that specializes in sports clothing. The company is a subsidiary of Hanesbrands, which is based in Winston-Harlem, North Carolina. Champion was not only responsible for clothing for the Chicago Bulls, but was responsible for producing uniforms for all of the NBA in the 1990s. So, after Jordan requested longer basketball shorts, it made adopting longer basketball shorts easier.
Michael Jordan Set A Trend
Michael Jordan started a trend with wearing longer basketball shorts and many players in the NBA did the same. The inseams of basketball grew 5 inches in the 90s.
Michael Jordan’s influence spread even to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), which is college basketball. In the 1990s, there were a couple of players in the NCAA that further helped popularized long baggy basketball shorts and it’s because of Michael Jordan. They are referred to as the Fab Five.
The Fab Five were the 1991 University of Michigan men’s basketball team. It consisted of Jalen Rose, Chris Webber, Jimmy King, Ray Jackson, and Juwan Howard.
Why Did the Fab Five Wear Longer Basketball Shorts?
The Fab Five wore longer baggy basketball shorts because they wanted to pay homage to Michael Jordan. Michael Jordan was their idol and they all wanted to be like him. Wearing long baggy shorts in college basketball was unheard of at that time. The Fab Five helped initiate a new wave of fashion in college.
The Fab Five received a lot of media attention during their playing days. This was due to their controversial antics on the court, their unconventional basketball fashion style that stood out (black high socks and long baggy shorts), and their on court success (reached 2 NCAA championship games). The Fab Five were so popular that they sold a lot of merchandise and a highly rated ESPN film documentary was produced about them. They are considered to be one of the greatest recruiting classes of all time.
The Fab Five’s popularity and media attention helped make the long baggy basketball even more common among pro basketball players.
How Many Inches Are Basketball Shorts?
The inseam length of basketball shorts today is about 5 to 9 inches.
The length of basketball shorts have steadily increased throughout the decades.
1960s
Basketball shorts in the 1960s were about 3 inches long at the inseams.
1980s
The inseams of basketball shorts grew to 5 inches after Michael Jordan’s influence in the 80s .
1990s
The “Fab Five” of The University of Michigan’s Wolverines helped pioneer the long baggy shorts among college basketball. The influence of hip hop also plays a major part in the rise of baggy shorts.
2000s
The inseam length of basketball shorts was 11 inches, more than twice as long as previous decade. Shorts in the NBA were past the knees.
2010s
The inseam length of basketball shorts in the 2010s are between 8-10 inches. They reach about the thighs and aren’t as baggy and long as the previous decade.
The basketball shorts worn in this decade are both made with practicality and fashion in mind.
Benefits of Longer Basketball Shorts
There were a lot of benefits to wearing longer basketball shorts. Some benefits include:
- better comfort
- more freedom
- more roomy
Size of Basketball Shorts
The sizes of basketball shorts can vary. They can be small, medium, large, extra large, and extra extra large.
- Small: 28 to 30-inch waist.
- Medium: 32 to 35-inch waist.
- Large: 36 to 38-inch waist.
- Extra Large (XL): 40 to 42-inch waist.
- Extra Extra Large (2XL): 44 to 46-inch waist.
Conclusion
NBA shorts were very short and this was due to the trends of the 60s and 70s. However, Michael Jordan helped pioneer the wave of longer basketball shorts. Basketball shorts evolved further and became baggier. Today, basketball shorts are not as baggy but still longer than they were in the 60s and 70s.
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