Why Do NBA Players Wear Headbands?
Why do NBA players wear headbands? NBA players wear headbands to absorb the sweat from their forehead.
NBA players are on the court for 48 minutes and they are constantly engaging in a lot of movement such as running, jumping, and shuffling their feet. As a result, they sweat profusely and that’s why having a headband is useful. The primary purpose of a headband is to get rid of sweat so it doesn’t get in the player’s eyes. NBA players also wear headbands for fashion purposes.
For example, players that wore the ninja headbands that was popular during the 2018-2019 season wore it mostly for fashion purposes.
Headbands can also be referred to as sweatbands. However, there are multiple basketball players who do not sweat a lot but wear a headband anyways to fully rep the team that they’re on.
Players have worn different types of headbands through the decades, from very thin headbands to ninja headbands (banned in 2019).
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What Are Headbands Made Of?
The headbands that NBA players wear are often made of terrycloth. Terrycloth is made out of a special fabric that is good for absorbing sweat. It’s also often made out of cotton and sometimes polyester.
Origins of Headbands
The beginning of headbands could be tracked as early as 400 B.C during the era of the Ancient Greeks, who wore hair wreaths. They wore hair wreaths for special ceremonies. Early forms of headbands weren’t just used for special occasions but were also used to help with ailments. For example, in the 1900s, headbands were used to help with headaches.
Who Was the First NBA Player to Wear a Headband?
The first NBA player to wear a headband and make it popular in the NBA was Wilt Chamberlain.
Wilt Chamberlain was one of the greatest players in NBA history. He was a center that dominated the game of basketball. He is a 2x NBA Champion (won with the Philadelphia 76ers in 1967 and Lakers in 1972) who holds numerous records in scoring and rebounding. He is best known for scoring 100 points in a single game.
The headband that Wilt wore in the 1970s did not look like the headbands in the NBA today. His headband was thick in the front but very thin in the back. It was most likely design this way to allow the material to really absorb the sweat that builds up in the front of Wilt’s forehead while not being too uncomfortable since he has a lot of hair.
Wilt was the first player to wear a headband on the court. Wilt wearing a headband was groundbreaking at the time because wearing this kind of gear was not common in the NBA.
5 Notable Players Who Wore Headbands
1. Bill Walton
Type of Headband: Bandana
Bill Walton was an basketball player well known for his time at UCLA leading the Bruins to two NCAA championships in 1972 and 1973 under legendary coach John Wooden. Walton came into the NBA hampered with various foot injuries so he did not make the same impact in the NBA as he did in college. However, he was able to have a successful NBA career winning 2 championships (one with the Portland Trailblazers and the other with the Boston Celtics). More importantly, Bill Walton helped further popularized the headband in the 1970s.
Bill Walton’s headband resembled a bandana. He wore it on one side of his head. This look suited him well given his long hair and he wore it mainly for fashion purposes. Walton’s eccentric style matched his personality as he became an entertaining color commentator.
2. Donald “Slick” Watts
Type of Headband: Sideways
Donald Earl “Slick” Watts is another player from the 1970s that helped make the headband popular. He was a undrafted player who signed with the Seattle SuperSonics as a free agent. His most well known accomplishment is being the first player to lead the NBA in steals and assists in the 1975-1976 season.
He was given the nickname “Slick” because of his completely shaved head. This was not common at the time. However, where he completely stood out was with the way he wore his headband.
Donald Watts wore his headband tilted and sideways. He really made it a fashionable accessory during the 70s.
3. Allen Iverson
Type of Headband: Stripe
Allen Iverson was a 11x NBA All Star and MVP in 2001. He led the Philadelphia 76ers to the NBA finals in his MVP year (2001). He is one of the most prolific scorers in NBA history despite being 6 feet.
Allen Iverson is one of the most influential basketball player from a fashion standpoint. He is responsible for alot of trends and styles in the NBA today. For example, Iverson made wearing tattoos very popular, which was uncommon at that time for a basketball player. He made wearing an arm sleeve popular as well. Many NBA players share their admiration for Iverson because of how freely he expressed himself. Iverson paved the way for other players to express themselves as well. He renewed interest in wearing a headband in the early 2000s.
Allen Iverson set a trend of striped headbands in the NBA. The striped headbands that he wore was aesthetically pleasing along with his signature cornrows, which was also uncommon in the NBA at that time.
Whether it be arm sleeves or tattoos, Allen Iverson has made a great impact on the cultural of basketball, especially when it comes to headbands.
3. Ben Wallace
Type of Headband: Afro
Ben Wallace went undrafted in 1996 and is most well known for playing for the Detroit Pistons. He won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award 4 times and played a key role in helping the Detroit Pistons win a championship in 2004.
Ben Wallace was a big guy who sweat alot during his playing days. He really benefited from wearing a headband. Furthermore, the headband helped kept his large Afro in place.
Wallace was one of the only players to pull off the Afro with the headband so well.
4. Rajon Rondo
Type of Headband: Upside Down
Rajon Rondo is a 4x NBA All Star that led the league in assists in 2012, 2013, 2016. He is most well known for playing with Boston Celtics, helping them win a championship in 2008.
Rondo is one of the players that led a trend of wearing a headband upside down. Rondo wore his headband upside down for years. Why? Well, players are often superstitious and it’s possible that Rondo felt he performs better with the headband upside down.
NBA players are usually free to express themselves in different ways. However, Rondo and other players wearing a an upside down headband was an issue for the league.
David Stern, the NBA commissioner at the time, banned upside down headbands because it displayed the NBA logo upside down and he saw it as illegal via LBS.
Rondo has been known to be controversial at times throughout his career. However, the way he wore his headband was interesting to say the least.
5. Lebron James
Lebron James is one of the greatest NBA players of all time. He is a 3x NBA champion, (2 championships in Miami and 1 in Cleveland), 4x NBA MVP, and dominated the league for years.
Because Lebron is one of the most popular NBA players ever, a lot of the things he does and wears brings scrutiny and jokes. Lebron has worn a headband for most of his career. Alot of people believe Lebron wears his headband is to possibly hide his receding hairline.
Whatever the reason, Lebron has helped made the headband very fashionable and it is a signature look for him.
Other notable NBA players that deserve a mention and has helped make the headband stylish is Carmelo Anthony, Vince Carter, Zach Randolph, and Paul Pierce.
Conclusion
The use of the headband in basketball has evolved throughout the decades. NBA players wear it to absorb sweat but they also wear for fashion purposes and as a way to express themselves on the court.
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