10 Style Moments That Changed Sports as We Know It
What are sports without a proper dose of fashion? The two worlds have continuously collided, giving us unforgettable moments.
Memorable style moments are those that live in our minds forever. It doesn't matter if they took place on a baseball diamond, football field or basketball court. When a trend works, it works.
We wanted to explore 10 standout moments and explain why they changed sports. Without all of these fashionable endeavors, today's landscape would look a whole lot different.
Ken Griffey Jr.'s Backward Hat
1 of 10
Ken Griffey Jr. wasn't the first person in society to rock his hat backward. But Griffey was the first player in Major League Baseball history to make it look insanely cool.
The backward cap has become synonymous with Griffey. It's as recognizable as his smooth swing and golden glove.
Growing up watching baseball in the '90s, that decade can be defined by a few things: the great home run chase of '98, the New York Yankees' dynastic ways and Griffey's hat.
His stylistic ways changed the aesthetics of the sport so much that Mike Oz of Yahoo Sports suggested he should go into Cooperstown rocking it that way.
Fab Five Rocks Longer Shorts
2 of 10
Michigan's Fab Five changed basketball forever. They are considered legends of not only the collegiate aspect of the sport, but pioneers of hoops culture in general.
It was the Fab Five who collectively brought style back into the game. Longer shorts paved the way for athletes across the spectrum of basketball to try new things.
Explaining the overall trend of hemlines, Jorge Castillo at the Washington Post wrote, "Then a group of freshmen at the University of Michigan known as the Fab Five became a national sensation in the early 1990s in part because of their sartorial swagger, with shorts that dropped below their knees."
These days, that "baggy" style may be trending downward, but Chris Webber, Jalen Rose, Juwan Howard, Jimmy King and Ray Jackson will be remembered as fashion rock stars of the '90s.
Lionel Messi's Tattoos
3 of 10
The relationship between tattoos and soccer isn't anything new. Countless stars of the sport, including David Beckham, made a name with ink.
But it was Lionel Messi's sudden surge in permanent design that sparked the interest of journalists and media outlets alike. Kevin O'Brien for Sun Times National transitioned into Sherlock Holmes, digging up social evidence surrounding Messi's sleeve.
Being the best at what you do clearly has some fashionable benefits. Messi's endeavor into ink has now become an unforgettable style moment.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Deion Sanders' Bandana
4 of 10
Deion Sanders needs to be praised for being the perfect representation of athletic fashion in the '90s. The dual-sport superstar struck gold with his wardrobe selections on and off the field.
During his playing days, Sanders' signature accessory was a bandana. Didn't matter if he was with the San Francisco 49ers, Dallas Cowboys, Washington or Baltimore Ravens. Sanders was the epitome of cool and his bandana-wearing ways were a titanic part of the narrative.
When he was rightfully inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Primetime ended his speech the only way he knew: by tying a bandana on the head of his enshrinement statue.
Michael Jordan's Air Jordan I Moment
5 of 10
Michael Jordan's relationship with Nike—and now Jordan Brand—has always found a way to push boundaries in sneaker design, aesthetics and performance. All of those strides began with the incomparable Air Jordan I in 1985.
The culture changed when the sneaker—designed by Peter Moore—released. Don't forget, former NBA Commissioner David Stern banned the shoe from being worn on the court because of its black and red color scheme.
It turned out to be a marketer's dream, as Brandon Edler mentioned on Complex. The shoe took on a life of its own, changing the way basketball sneakers were looked at—mainly thanks to the on-court success MJ enjoyed.
Jordan's trend-setting first shoe is still revered in 2016. That's a defining reason why you know it changed style for the better.
The New World Order T-Shirt
6 of 10
Before the New World Order formed in 1996, sports entertainment was a bubbly place, full of outlandish characters. As you'd expect, the merchandising reflected that.
After Hulk Hogan, Kevin Nash and Scott Hall disrupted the industry, all of that noise changed. The NWO's signature shirt went on to become the defining symbol of professional wrestling in the late '90s. Something about that visual, raw motif was enough to break into popular culture.
You couldn't look anywhere without seeing someone sporting an NWO garment. Even resident NBA bad boy Dennis Rodman got in on the fun—as you can see in the image above.
That acceptance proved this shirt was an enormous success in terms of shaking up the world of style.
Allen Iverson's Sleeve
7 of 10
Allen Iverson's infamous sleeve was so much more than just a sleeve. Investigative reporting by Jay Caspian Kang at the New Yorker revealed this fashion statement was actually a support device constructed by former Philadelphia 76ers trainer Lenny Currier.
The trend blew up after Iverson rocked it for the first time. "But as you know with Allen, once the other players started seeing him wearing it, they all followed his lead," Currier told Kang.
Between his headband, signature sneaker line with Reebok and trademark arm sleeve, Iverson's stylistic adventures remain the stuff of legend.
LaDainian Tomlinson's Tinted Visor
8 of 10
LaDainian Tomlinson's tinted visor was a thing of fear and beauty. As the graceful San Diego Chargers tailback weaved in and out, making defenders look like they were moving on ice, you were always left wondering what was going on beneath the visor.
That harrowing visor became No. 21's calling card, as he explained to John B of Gang Green Nation. "It's something I've always done. I've maintained that look over time. It became a part of who I am. I want it to show the kind of bravado you have to have to succeed playing the sport."
The 13,684 career rushing yards and 162 total touchdowns he scored were realized beneath a shield of anonymity. A shield will follow Tomlinson all the way up to his eventual Hall of Fame induction.
Mike Bibby and Penny Hardaway's Foamposite Moment
9 of 10
As significant as the Air Jordan I was in 1985, Nike's Foamposite broke similar boundaries 12 years later.
The future of sneakers came in the form of a Foamposite shoe. Designed by Eric Avar, two men were given the opportunity to sport these kicks when they first were unveiled in 1997. Mike Bibby—playing for the University of Arizona—and former Orlando Magic star Penny Hardaway received that honor, as Riley Jones of Complex mentioned.
They took to the court and put this design on the map.
It was an important steppingstone for Nike as a brand, and the shoe instantly turned into the stuff of legend. So much so that Alec Leach of Highsnobiety called a recent version of it "the most important sneaker of the century."
Had it not been for Hardaway and Bibby, this important moment in style may have never happened.
Wayne Gretzky's Los Angeles Kings Jersey
10 of 10
The trade that sent Wayne Gretzky to Los Angeles in 1988 was huge for hockey and fashion. Gretzky rocking a Los Angeles Kings jersey gave it a Raiders vibe in terms of coolness.
Gretzky destroying the league while wearing that jersey was a "game-changer," as Joe DeLessio of Sports on Earth wrote. "And perhaps more significantly for the league as a whole, it shined a spotlight on a market that otherwise wouldn't have gotten leaguewide attention."
He was called The Great One for a reason. Coming to Los Angeles shook up hockey in the United States and turned the Kings jersey into a staple of fashion culture.
All stats and information provided by Sports-Reference.com, unless noted otherwise.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
