NBA to Allow Players to Wear Pregame Outfits to Arena During 2020 Restart

The NBA has backtracked quickly on its requirements for pregame attire. 

The league had instituted a protocol that called for players to arrive at arenas before games already wearing their jerseys and warmups, though players will now be allowed to wear their own clothing while traveling to locker rooms, per Nick DePaula of ESPN.  

"Considering the unique environment on the NBA Disney campus and warmer weather conditions, a different policy was put in place for players' arrival and entry into the arenas," a league spokesperson told ESPN.

Players showing off their fashion choices and fits before games has become a major part of the league's culture, and losing those pregame walks through the tunnel would have taken some of the fun away from the restart. 

Sneaker aficionado P.J. Tucker, for instance, is reportedly bringing a large number of shoes to Orlando:

And Troy Daniels has been getting his looks off while walking around in his hotel:

As a result of the concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic, however, most of the protocols remain in place. Players are not permitted to shower in the locker rooms after games or practices and must do so in their hotel rooms, for instance. 

As DePaula noted, "There is an expectation that, after games, players may now prefer to switch out of their sweaty uniforms into 'appropriate team-identified apparel' to head back onto the bus while carrying their pregame outfits in a duffel bag."

In other words, the fits will be strong before games. Afterward, probably not so much.