The NBA allowed players to wear the headbands last season because it did not want to cause disruptionNBAE/GETTY IMAGES
The NBA "won't allow players to wear 'ninja-style headwear'" during the upcoming season, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com. The NBA "never had a formal process to approve the headgear," which gained popularity during the '18-19 campaign. NBA Exec VP/Communications Mike Bass said the league allowed players to wear it last season because they "didn't want to cause a disruption by intervening midseason." The NBA "notified teams in May that the headbands wouldn't be a part of this season's approved uniforms." A source said that some members of the NBA's competition committee "expressed concerns on safety, including the looseness of the headwear" (ESPN.com, 9/9). YAHOO SPORTS' Jason Owens noted 76ers F Mike Scott, one of the more prominent players to opt for the look, "apparently got word of the news on Friday." GQ last spring wrote about the style, noting that Pelicans G Jrue Holiday "helped pioneer the look in NBA circles and got the idea from watching tennis players like Rafael Nadal" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 9/9).
