We have seen the NBA ban fans, personalities, executives, and even players who did not abide by league rules. However, there’s another thing the league has also barred – accessories and cosmetics. There’s a shortlist in that department, but let’s take a look at the top 5 banned accessories in the NBA that need to return on the hardwood.
5. Non-NBA logo/brands
To those who don’t know yet, there’s a league rule that prohibits commercial logos from being displayed on a player’s body and/or uniform. The only exception is the shoes a player likes to represent or wear.
Kelly Oubre Jr. wore the Supreme shooting sleeve during game against Nets. Nothing was the same. pic.twitter.com/zxmOoRXzLk
— Sneaker News (@SneakerNews) December 13, 2017
A few years ago, the likes of Iman Shumpert, Kelly Oubre Jr., J.R. Smith, and Lonzo Ball got in trouble with the league after violating the said rule. In 2013, Shumpert boasted his Adidas logo-inspired haircut. Then, at the height of the apparel brand “Supreme”, Oubre and J.R. Smith jumped on the bandwagon, but the league was having none of it.
The NBA demanded that Smith should hide his Supreme tattoo or else he’ll be fined and may even be suspended. This rule is strictly being implemented even to this day. Just recently, LaMelo Ball was forced to hide his controversial “LF” tattoo on his neck as it stands for LaFrance, which is his middle name as well as the name of the apparel brand he started in 2020.
4. Durag
Black close-fitting head clothing called Durag has been tied to the African-American community for many years. While some have been using it for fashion, it’s mostly applied to maintain perfectly curly and wavy hair.
Today we honor Sam Perkins the first & only player to wear a durag during an NBA Game #DuragHistoryWeek pic.twitter.com/ulldM7QTjs
— Chandler (@channah706) October 3, 2014
The first and last time it was spotted during an actual NBA game was when former Indiana Pacers player Sam Perkins wore it during a preseason match in 2000. Unfortunately, just like many others on this list, it was banned shortly after because the league believes Durags to be more of an occupational hazard than a fashion statement. On the other hand, Perkins makes history after being the only player to ever wear the accessory in an actual game.
3. Tinted goggles
Miami Heat legend Dwyane Wade actually forced the NBA’s hand at his peak. In 2009, Wade wore a band-aid near his eye that featured his name. The Hall-of-Famer shooting guard continued wearing the band-aid even though his eye injury was already healed, prompting an action by the league’s committee to ban it.
Two years later, Wade was once again under fire for wearing tinted goggles after suffering from increased light sensitivity due to migraine. Well, it did not take long for the organization to ban it as well as they believed the modified eyewear was giving DWade an unfair advantage over his defenders. There were others who wore goggles during games in the past like Kurt Rambis, Rip Hamilton, Horace Grant, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Amar’e Stoudemire, and Hakeem Olajuwon. But, all of them wore clear glasses.
2. Black carbon fiber mask
Black carbon fiber masks are now banned in the league after many NBA stars have used them in the past. At one point in their career, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Kyrie Irving wore the same mask after suffering an injury on the face, which is understandable considering it’s a protection to prevent re-aggravating their injuries. However, the league did not like it one bit and asked players not to wear it anymore.
Believe it or not, but one of the scariest versions of LeBron James is the “masked LeBron”. Wearing a mask for protection is not prohibited, and we know that as long as it’s the traditional clear mask. One of the players who made it popular was Rip Hamilton, who wore it a ton of times.
1. Ninja headbands
If there’s one thing the NBA should bring back, it’s definitely the Ninja headbands. These Ninja-inspired headbands became extremely popular during the 2018-2019 season and numerous NBA stars were donning the eye-catching accessory.
The NBA should’ve never banned the ninja headbands pic.twitter.com/mFmiVZQrRR
— Mink Flow (@currypistonn) July 26, 2023
We all remember Jimmy Butler wearing the Ninja headbands in actual games for a whole year, and others like Jrue Holiday, Montrezl Harrel, and Mike Scott followed suit. However, in the following season, the NBA suddenly did not want players to wear it anymore as it wasn’t part of their uniforms. Many players appealed, and even fans tried to call out the league. Unfortunately, we never saw anyone wear it ever again.
