NBA Uniforms; From Long Pants to Adidas revolution 30
It all began with a peach basket nailed to a 10 foot high track aimed at keeping the gym class at Springfield College active on rainy days. The teacher with the innovative idea of inventing Basketball was the widely respected Dr.
James Naismith. Let’s not forget that it was the December of 1891 in Massachusetts, a time when the classical norms of being well dressed were followed strictly no matter what; whether one was at a party or out on the fields. So the poor old lads had to play
the newly invented game in clothes fit enough to wear at a Prom. The long pants, short sleeve shirts and flat shoes were soon adapted as the most comfortable attire for men while long skirts and long sleeved blouses were adapted for the women along with a
matching scarf around the neck at times.
As the sport grew in its following and fame, more innovations were introduced each day making it possible for the players to enhance their attire to a completely new technical level. Uniforms were increasingly becoming a necessity
to promote unity and team spirit along with the identification of the team. The introduction of Converse All Star shoes by Boston Rubber Shoe Company in 1917 became the benchmark of Basketball attire throughout America. The shoes were lighter and comfortable
enough to dominate the market for many years until Nike came up with its unique sporty designs in 1972 and made history.
1920’s saw another diversification in the uniforms business as the attire for both men and women became shorter and tighter. The modesty factor was of course always kept in mind so while men used to wear sleeveless shirts, women
wore short sleeves with knee pads as enhanced safety measures. The flashing colors and shiny satin attires were introduced on the courts in 1935.
The latest trends and fashion aspect were almost always taken into consideration by the players and their teams. Through decades, uniforms found several small but innovative modifications. As, in 1970’s the use of a headband was
widely practiced by NBA players for sweat reduction along with the white socks pulled up to the knees. The fashion went on to become almost extinct with time and we hardly see any portion of the socks these days. Basketball shoes nowadays are engineered with
precision almost similar to that required for manufacturing an astronaut’s shoe, since each major player is wearing shoes designed especially for his feet these days.
The precision is not only player specific but has also become Brand specific. Adidas has not only got exclusive rights to prepare the jerseys for all NBA teams, but it also faces zero competition by the likes of Nike, Puma etc.
The NBA Revolution 30 uniforms that Adidas has introduced this season are possibly the most technically advanced sports attire in the market today.
The uniforms are claimed to be 30 percent lighter in weight, and thus are easier to carry along with the unique ability of drying twice as fast as compared to the previous ones. The objective was to keep the athletes drier, cooler
and much more agile on the court.
The Uniforms utilize Adidas’ Formotion technology which not only reduces seams but also decreases the friction between the fabric and the players’ body. Thus the players experience much less of the clinging on of fabrics to their
body. The CLIMACOOL fabrics by Adidas absorbs the moisture away from the body in not more than 3 seconds giving players a more technically advanced control over their body heat during the game.
The Revolution 30 is the most advanced uniform designed till date and is definitely a feature to watch out for in the exciting new season of NBA. The uniform was tried on by more than 200 NBA and NBA D-league players during practice
and games with researchers receiving mostly positive feedback on the design and comfort aspect. The expectations from NBA Revolution 30 to revolutionize the NBA uniform systems are as high as they are with the big 3 playing for Miami Heat.
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