Gear worn by NBA players is supposed to be of the highest quality. However, there have been times when the gear or the player malfunctioned.
A player’s gear is essential when it comes to playing basketball. It assists players in performing at their best on the court. In the NBA, there’s no doubt that players also rely on basketball gear to play at their peak.
Given that the NBA is the best basketball league in the world, there’s no question that players are provided with premium attire to protect and to allow them to showcase their talents. However, given that basketball is a physical sport, even the best basketball gear undergo some malfunctions. Let’s take a closer look at 10 gear malfunctions that happened in an NBA game.
Amar’e Stoudemire’s jersey number gets left behind
Amar’e Stoudemire had some great moments for the New York Knicks, including leading the Knicks over the Bobcats with a 99-95 victory. In the game, he had 20 points to go along with six blocks. However, he lost the front number of his jersey in the final seconds of the game.
Grant Williams’ shoe explodes
The Jordan brand is highly respected in the shoe market. However, doubts were raised when Grant Williams’ Air Jordan 37 shockingly exploded midway through a game against the Raptors. Williams made a hard drive in transition that was put to a halt after his foot suddenly ripped through his shoe. It was a surprising incident given that the shoe costs $185 in retail.
Manu Ginobili’s shoe turns into an anklet
Speaking of shoe malfunctions, even the great Manu Ginobili wasn’t spared. Sporting the Nike Zoom DT, Ginobili went all out on defense against the Pistons.
However, while Ginobili’s intensity gave the Spurs a 120-110 win over the Pistons, his shoe just couldn’t keep up after it exploded. After the play in the first half, the Nike Zoom DTs turned into an anklet for the former Spurs star.
Dwight Howard’s shorts get ripped
Dwight Howard was one of the best centers in the NBA for his rim protection, rebounding, and impact in the paint. As a result, Howard is no stranger to physicality while fighting for position in the paint.
However, in a game against the Pistons while jockeying for position against Isaiah Stewart, the Pistons player managed to grab the shorts of the three-time Defensive Player of the Year, forcing Howard to stumble.
In the process, Stewart got a piece of Howard’s shorts while also drawing a foul on Howard. Unhappy with the call, Howard complained and was slapped with a technical foul.
Jordan Poole’s arm sleeve
There’s no doubt that arm sleeves are a great accessory for any baller. However, one sleeve surprisingly decided to turn against Jordan Poole. With a four-point lead in the fourth quarter against Tre Jones, Poole decided to run out the clock until Jones got a piece of his sleeve, forcing it to come loose. The former threw the sleeve to the ground but slipped in the process.
Ben Simmons’ destroyed jersey
Ben Simmons is the latest victim of a ripped Nike jersey: trib.al/NYQkZaI
7:08 PM · Nov 4, 2017 180 Reply Copy link Read 10 replies
Ben Simmons hasn’t found much success in his career as of late. However, there’s no doubt that he has all the tools to become a great all-around player.
But back while playing for the Philadelphia 76ers, he was battling for the boards against the Indiana Pacers’ Lance Stephenson, a yank to the jersey ended up with Simmons’ sporting a wardrobe malfunction. Curiously, the referees didn’t make any call on the play.
LeBron James rips sleeves on his jersey
LeBron James has been shooting the ball great as of late for the Los Angeles Lakers. However, there are times when he has struggled shooting the ball. In fact, back in his Cleveland Cavalier days, he struggled shooting in a sleeved jersey. The jersey bothered James’ broad shoulders, forcing him to go 0-for-3 from beyond the arc. Frustrated, James decided to rip off the sleeves.
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Mustafa Shakur’s last-minute jersey
In 2011 against the Boston Celtics, Mustafa Shakur had a solid NBA debut. He helped the Washington Wizards clinch an upset 85-83 win over Boston by contributing five points, five assists, and two rejections.
However, it wasn’t his performance that turned heads. Instead, it was his last-minute jersey that stole the show. Shakur sported a Wizards uniform that was stitched briefly prior to the game by the Wizards staff. Clearly, there were many things wrong about the jersey.
Marko Jaric’s backwards jersey
Marko Jaric isn’t really one of the most memorable guys in the NBA. However, he did garner some attention back in the day when he checked in to an NBA game with his jersey backwards.
Jaylen Brown’s backward shorts
Jaylen Brown is easily one of the top rising stars in the NBA today. However, the Celtics star did make a minor error in a preseason game against the Sixers. Brown checked in the game with his shorts backwards, which easily caught the attention of his teammates, the game’s commentators, and NBA fans.