Why Did The NBA Ban Ninja Headbands?
The ninja headband was banned by the NBA before the start of the 2019-2020 season because the NBA felt that there was inconsistency regarding the length and it raised safety concerns. The ninja headbands were also deemed “unprofessional” by the NBA.
League spokesman Mike Bass wrote in a statement:
“The ninja-style headwear is not part of the NBA uniform and hasn’t been through the league approval process. Teams have raised concerns regarding safety and consistency of size, length, and how they are tied which requires a thorough review before consideration of any rule change.”
“When some players began wearing them last season, we didn’t want to cause a disruption by intervening midseason, but we notified our teams in May that they would not be part of this season’s uniforms.”
What is A Ninja Style Headband?
The Ninja Style Headband is the NikeCourt Dri-Fit Head tie made by Nike. It become popular during the 2018- 2019 season.
The Dri-FIT fabric was made to wick sweat away and help keep you dry and comfortable. Players wear headbands for a variety of reasons.
It resembles the headbands that tennis players wear.
The ninja headband is also available for every day people. Click HERE to get the ninja headband.
Features
- Wide design provides for optimum coverage
- Tapered style for comfortable fit
- Heat transferred Swoosh logo
Specifications
- 88% Polyester / 12% Spandex
- Length 99cm
- Width 2.5in, 6.5cm
3 Notable Players Who Wore the Ninja Headband
The ninja headband is essentially a tie headband that has been worn by NBA players such as Jrue Holiday, Jimmy Butler, and Montrezl Harrell.
1. Jrue Holiday
Jrue Holiday started wearing the ninja headband because of his longer hair. “Me and my brothers have been doing it since we’ve had longer hair, probably three years at least,” via GQ
2. Montrezl Harrell
Montrezl Harrel has long dreads and started wearing the ninja headband to keep his dreads in place. “This definitely started as a basketball-type thing, but after everyone started talking about it, it became more of a fashion thing, too,” he says. “I don’t really look at it in any way other than it being an essential part of my every day game now.” via GQ
3. Jimmy Butler
Jimmy Butler started wearing the ninja headband for fashion purposes.
Other player such as De’Aaron Fox, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Jarrett Allen have worned the ninja headbands.
Lebron James possibly planned to wear the headband after posting a photoshop picture of him wearing it on instagram after the caption “Kung Fu King, Bruce Lee-Bron”??
Lebron has actually worn it during a pickup game, but not an NBA game.
Who Started Wearing the Ninja Headband in the NBA?
It’s unclear who started wearing the ninja headband first in the NBA. However, it was made popular by professional tennis players like Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.
The ninja-style’headbands exploded in popularity after Nike became the official apparel provider for the NBA at the beginning of the 2017-2018 season.
When Will The Ban on Ninja Headbands Be Lifted?
It’s uncertain whether players will be able to wear the ninja headbands again.
The ninja headbands will be reviewed under a competition committee review and they will make a decision on whether or not it will be available for players to wear.
The reception for the ban by NBA players have been largely negative. Many including Montrezl Harrel and Mike Scott have voiced their displeasure and were not pleased.
Others have speculated the NBA’s ban on the ninja headbands was because the league wasn’t able to market them, which a concern that has been brought up after many NBA apparel decisions.
If the ninja headbands does get approved by the league, it will most likely have the Nike Swoosh or a team logo on them.
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