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How Allen Iverson Shifted Style in the NBA

How Allen Iverson Shifted Style in the NBA

Apr 21, 2022

He may have popularized Reebok basketball sneakers, but Allen Iverson’s style extends far beyond footwear. Did you know that Iverson was a real style maverick within the NBA, shifting its thinking about what players wore? 

Allen Iverson and Michael Jordan on basketball court - courtesy of https://wallpaperaccess.com/allen-iverson

Hip-Hop Influence

When we talk about rule-breakers in the NBA, Jordan’s “Banned” shoes inevitably come up. But Iverson’s influence is similarly iconic. When he began his pro basketball career, Iverson stuck out. He sported cornrows and loose-fitting jeans. He showed off his tattoos, rocked out to tunes on his headphones and wore flashy jewelry. 

We take these things for granted today, but this wasn’t done in the league back when Iverson entered the NBA in 1996, even though hip-hop was taking over culture outside the arena. Other players also began emulating Iverson’s dress style, using their clothing to express their personalities while in the tunnel or giving pre-game interviews. 

NBA Reigns It In

In 2005, NBA commissioner David Stern issued a strict new dress code mandating that players wear business-casual fits before games. He ultimately banned shorts and tees, hats, jewelry, sunglasses and headphones in the tunnel — a move, Iverson and many others suspected, was aimed directly at him. So much so, in fact, that players unofficially called this “the A.I. Rule.” Some players stood by the dress code, while others spoke out against it as unjust. 

Allen Iverson with jewelry, oversized shirt, and hat- courtesy of https://www.upi.com/

Setting Trends

Baggy pants, oversized shirts, medallions around his neck, the first-gen iPod in his hand, a do-rag around his head and tattoos on display — Iverson was really the first NBA player to exude that effortless hip-hop appeal on the paint and in pressers. Oh, and he also sported those Allen Iverson shoes, his now-famous Reebok Questions.

We’ve come a long way since that 2005 ruling. NBA style has evolved over the decades, getting more lax as the years go on. Today fans look toward NBA style icons like Steph Curry, LeBron James, Russell Westbrook and James Harden. But it was “The Answer” who powered forward with his signature Allen Iverson style, shaping the way current players dress.

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