Trends We'd Like Revived for the 2014-15 NBA Season
Chris Douglas-Roberts is angling to lead the NBA's next on-court revolution, but we aren't talking about the corner three or another advanced statistical practice.
Rather, the Los Angeles Clippers' hybrid wing has his sights set on becoming a trendsetter in a more fashionable realm.
Specifically, Douglas-Roberts began to emerge as a vintage trendsetter of sorts after tweeting in September that he would be wearing medium shorts "like Stockton."
This got us thinking: Aside from short shorts, what other trends would we like to see restored for the 2014-15 season?
From more pronounced headbands to high socks and the revival of prominent facial accessories, we've compiled a list of styles that need to make a comeback in the year ahead.
First Names on the Backs of Jerseys
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NBA fans are quick to embrace colloquialism when it comes to day-to-day ramblings, so why not do away with last names on jerseys entirely and embrace an old ABA tradition?
During the ABA's nine-year existence, clubs experimented with several quirky fashion statements, one of which included inscribing players' first names on the backs of uniforms.
Considering we already refer to several of the league's biggest superstars by their first names (LeBron, Blake, Dirk, etc.) in casual settings, wouldn't it make sense to simplify things?
For instance, Giannis Antetokounmpo would simply be "Giannis." Now isn't that easier? Play-by-play announcers and color commentators would almost certainly agree. I can assure you that would also look far more attractive on the back of a replica jersey.
High Socks
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Kyle Korver, Jason Terry and Chris Copeland have been getting with the program for years now, but knee-high socks are on the verge of extinction in modern-day hoops.
With mid-calf styles reigning supreme, lengthier fashions have been largely discarded from arenas across the country.
But it's time for the madness to stop.
While we wouldn't expect LeBron James or Kevin Durant to facilitate the revival of such an audacious trend, there's no denying that pure shooters should embrace it.
Just look at Korver's numbers when he's wearing those things.
Since entering the league, Korver and his insulated legs have drilled 1,508 threes, good for 22nd all-time. Among active players, that mark ranks 13th, one spot ahead of Dirk Nowitzki, according to Basketball-Reference.com. He was also the league leader in catch-and-shoot three-point field-goal percentage (minimum three attempts per game) last season, according to NBA.com.
More important than the stats, though, is the fact that Korver has embraced an altruistic cause in the name of style.
According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Chris Vivlamore, "The Hawks guard helped with the charity [Socktober] last year which collected 4,000 pairs of socks in cooperation with Atlanta Mission. Korver said this year the goal is to collect 10,000 pairs because 'on any given night in our city there are 10,000 people without a place to call home.'"
As Korver continues to own his trademark look, it's time for other reputable ballers to join the club.
Longer Hairstyles
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A scan of the NBA's best hairstyles reveals a shocking lack of luscious locks.
While clean cuts and flattops certainly have their place, the league is in desperate need of some throwback styles that embrace more aggressive flow.
And I'm not talking about whatever occupied the space on top of Scott Pollard's head (or Adam Morrison's).
While brave souls like Kelly Olynyk and Anderson Varejao have made valiant efforts, a superstar needs to endorse the "long hair don't care" philosophy that made Bill Walton a cult hero in the 1970s.
I'd love to nominate Dirk Nowitzki to carry the torch, but as the German sharpshooter told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram's Dwain Price in February, he's opting for a more conservative approach in the years ahead:
"I wore a headband when my hair was really, really long. Other than that, I think it’s a bad look for me. But when the hair got really annoyingly long, I rocked it a couple of games.
But I didn’t really like it that much, that’s why I cut [the hair]. Now I’m too old. It’s not a good look for a 40-year old to wear a headband, so I’m just going to go with the short hair.
"
Variety may be hard to come by right now, but if the re-emergence of the high-top fade taught us anything, it's that the popularity of hairstyles is cyclical.
More Assertive Headbands
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Speaking of Bill Walton, he did more than boast unparalleled flow.
What can't be stressed enough was how committed to excellence Walton was when it came to preventive perspiratory headwear.
While LeBron James' headband size continues to increase by the season, he's now forced to don them out of necessity and not a desire to appear stylish.
This leads us to the need for voluntary greatness in the headband department.
For instance, we could really use a full season of Spencer Hawes looking like this.
Simply put, there isn't enough variety in the headband game these days.
The monochromatic styles that James, Paul Pierce and Carmelo Anthony wear are fine, but an infusion of creativity is sorely needed.
Physicality Breeding Rivalries
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Physicality breeds rivalries.
While brawls are wholly unnecessary, a little chippiness can be good in moderation.
Unfortunately, the NBA is devoid of rivalries today as physicality has largely been limited to the flow of play (and for good reason) due to the threat of punishments in the form of suspensions and monetary losses.
And as LeBron James told reporters last December, according to Yahoo Sports' Marc Spears, rivalries simply don't exist in today's game.
"It's just the truth. I've thought about it. There is no real rivalries. It's the truth. No rivalries. Cowboys-Redskins is a rivalry. Ohio State-Michigan is a rivalry. Duke-Carolina is a rivalry. Bears-Packers is a rivalry. I don't know why, but there is no [NBA] rivalry. You see someone year, year, year and year after year and you guys battle it out, that's when it becomes a rivalry.
"
The good news is that James' move back to the Cleveland Cavaliers can help revive this moribund trend.
Now that the Eastern Conference is rife with talented young clubs, the stage is set for James' Cavaliers, Derrick Rose's Bulls and John Wall's Wizards to start trading literal and figurative barbs for years to come.
Rec Specs
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Optometry isn't a specialty of mine, but I think we can all agree the NBA needs more recreational spectacles.
Just think about some of the rough-and-tumble players of yesteryear who flaunted rec specs, and it's hard not to yearn for sporty lenses to make a revival.
Consider a few of these four-eyed names: Kurt Rambis. Horace and Harvey Grant. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. James Worthy. Even Hakeem Olajuwon gave them a go.
The bravado those players exuded while crashing the boards and posting up was unmistakable, and as noted previously, a bit more physicality could be good for the league and its quest to uncover new rivalries.
With Amar'e Stoudemire the lone star on the league's spectacled train, it's time for a collection of passengers to join him and make facial accessories en vogue once more.
