The NBA officially resumes in Orlando in a few weeks. But a lot of rules had to be imposed to keep the environment as safe as possible from any risk. Players can’t even leave the bubble for two months. The latest rule which has been imposed is a pre-game uniform rule.

Last time the league had a similar rule was in 2005. The then-commissioner David Stern introduced the NBA Dress Code, which indirectly targeted Allen Iverson and the trend he had started.

ESPN’s Nick DePaula reported “A new entry protocol finalized at the end of this past week calls for players to ‘be in uniform and warm-ups when they arrive’ to the game, sources told ESPN.”

He goes on to explain how it works. “Players will get dressed in full uniform in their respective hotel rooms. at the trio of designated resorts at Walt Disney World, then board a team bus for an expected 15-minute drive to the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex and HP Field House’s primary game court.”

What led to the NBA making this change?

Russell Westbrook, Kyle Kuzma, and PJ Tucker are some players who will be most affected by this rule. Their pre-game outfits are as ‘fashionable’ as it gets. Unsurprisingly, the new rule irked Tucker, who told ESPN about his dislike for it.

“That is crazy,” Tucker said. “I think that takes away [from] originally what getting dressed was all about. It wasn’t even about the tunnel walk, it was more about getting dressed up and going to work. To me, it’s like a mindset, getting dressed, and getting ready to go to my game. It puts me in the mindset that I’m ready to work and helps me find my focus. Getting dressed at the hotel now will feel like an AAU tournament. I’m not feeling it. It just doesn’t feel NBA to me, but it is what it is.”

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According to ESPN, a key factor that led to this rule is the fact that team locker rooms don’t have a shower facility. “To minimize the chances of players changing in close quarters before and after games at the venue, without showering, the decision was made to instead have them arrive ready to play in order to prioritize sanitization measures.”

So will this rule lead to teams suiting up like the early 90s? We have to wait and watch.

UPDATE

ESPN’s Nick DePaula reported that the statement they received regarding this rule was incorrect. “Initially, ESPN was misinformed by a league spokesperson that a “concrete” dress code protocol had been finalized last week, requiring players to fully dress for games in their hotel rooms and “be in uniform and warmups when they arrive” to the game venue.”

According to a league spokesperson, “Given the “unique environment” and “warmer weather conditions,” players can wear a variety of “relaxed” items from their own wardrobes upon arrival that is “clean and neat in appearance,” including presentable shorts, according to a league spokesperson.”

Westbrook and Kuzma can now take a breather.