Little-known fact about the NBA Real men wear girdles.
No, not the type that first comes to mind. These girdles, the ones worn by almost every NBA player these days, are more strategic than cosmetic.
Beneath the increasingly baggy shorts, many of today's NBA players wear compression shorts, or girdles, that feature shock-resistant padding for the thighs, hips and tailbone. And some players, such as Miami Heat Most Valuable Player candidate Dwyane Wade and Orlando Magic standout Rashard Lewis, have taken the cautious approach a step further by wearing rib and sternum pads stealthily concealed beneath their jerseys.
Most NBA locker rooms these days resemble their NFL brethren what with the players padding up as if they are going into battle. And NBA players' need to protect themselves against the hits from foes and hard spills on the hardwood debunk the foolish myth that basketball is a non-contact sport.
Defense on the low block sometimes resembles a wrestling match with players banging shoulders, throwing elbows and using knees for leverage. Rare is the drive to the hoop that there isn't contact of some kind. And more often than not, a player will hit the floor as the big bodies collide in mid-air.
"It seems like every year the players get bigger and stronger and you just want to do something to protect yourself from all the hits that you take," said Lewis, who is always padded up beneath his Magic uniform. "We get a lot of bumps and bruises from all of the knees and elbows that we get hit with. You get an injury and you're out for awhile. I just think it's smart to protect yourself."
In some ways, the layered look has become the NBA's hush-hush hidden secret. Some players don't want others to know they are protecting themselves with pads because it might project a "soft" image. When asked recently if Cleveland Cavaliers players wore padded girdles for protection, Cavs athletic trainer Max Benton said yes. But when asked to name those players, Benton shook his head as if he was protecting a White House secret.
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