NBA to Ban Tights Next Season

After the headbands and the long shorts, it seems tights are now the latest trend in the NBA.

Since Jerry Stackhouse first used it in last year's playoffs, it seems majority of the league's top players are joining the fashion trend. Guys like Dwyane Wade, Vince Carter, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James are all wearing these leg-wraps during NBA games.

Of course, these players claim that it helps keep their legs warm during games. It also helps 'em to stay away from aggravating any groin injuries or muscle sprains. Stack' is a testament to that. After suffering from a groin injury last year, he started wearing those tights and he never looked back since.

Now, the league is trying to ban 'em for next year's season.

First was the regulation of the length of a player's shorts, then the dress code this year and now, this no-to-tights campaign next season. NBA Commish' David Stern sure's getting a lot of love from players and fans by now.

Although NBA officials are not publicly commenting on the issue, sources say that the league simply does not like the look of players wearing visible hose. It's believed that the league office, which already has regulations in place to curtail short lengths, can unilaterally outlaw tights by simply amending its uniform code before the 2006-07 season.

The thing is, the league believes that some players wear these tights primarily because of how the way it looks and not because of medical stuff. Well, if these guys put people on seats then by all means, let them wear what they want to wear.

Stackhouse, the man who started this ''tight movement'' so to speak, says, ''If they ban 'em, I'll find something else.''

Eight players who wear tights, the likes of Kobe, LeBron, Michael Redd and Vince Carter, are all Nike-sponsored athletes. That's why Nike is now selling a ''pro basic'' pair of tights for $35 a pop and a ''pro thermal'' pair for 50 bucks.

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