Summary
Overview
This episode explores how Allen Iverson's compression sleeve, originally worn to treat elbow bursitis during the 2000-2001 NBA season, became a cultural phenomenon that challenged the NBA's respectability politics and permanently changed basketball fashion. The story traces the NBA's evolution from its struggling 1970s era through David Stern's corporate makeover, Michael Jordan's carefully crafted image, and Iverson's unapologetic embrace of hip-hop culture that led to both the league's dress code and a lasting legacy of player self-expression.
The NBA's Troubled 1970s Era
The NBA struggled with low viewership in the 1970s, with games often aired on tape delay after 11:30 PM. The league faced accusations of rampant drug use and violence, with media narratives often blaming Black players for the sport's problems. A 1977 incident where Kermit Washington seriously injured Rudy Tomjanovich became emblematic of the era's struggles, cementing harmful stereotypes about Black players as dangerous and uncontrolled.
- NBA viewership was extremely low in the 1970s, with games shown on tape delay after 11:30 PM
- An LA Times article claimed 40-75% of NBA players used cocaine, based on sources who later said they were misquoted
- Kermit Washington's 1977 punch that severely injured Rudy Tomjanovich became national news, reinforcing negative stereotypes
- The incident fit into larger narratives about urban crisis, disinvestment from Black neighborhoods, and white flight to suburbs
" They were playing streetball, that they were using drugs, that they were uncontrollable off the court, that they were lazy, that they weren't team players. "
" The NBA became a kind of microcosm of that larger social problem. "
Magic, Bird, and David Stern's Corporate Transformation
The NBA's fortunes changed dramatically in 1980 when Magic Johnson and Larry Bird entered the league as compelling rivals. Commissioner David Stern seized on their personalities to market the NBA as entertainment rather than just sport, focusing on individual players as the product. This approach transformed the league into a multinational corporation modeled more on Disney than traditional sports.
- Magic Johnson and Larry Bird became arch rivals representing different coasts, races, and personalities
- David Stern wanted to market the NBA like Disney, focusing on players' personalities and expressions rather than just the game
- Stern emphasized that NBA players were 'unadorned' without helmets or long sleeves, making their personalities visible
- By the early 1990s, the NBA had made huge strides in viewership and profits under Stern's approach
" He begins to think about the NBA as a kind of multinational corporation. A corporation that needed a makeover, a new image to move away from the struggles of the 1970s. He looked at the NBA as being more akin to Disney than the NFL. "
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