Alright, let’s talk about them NBA officials uniforms, you know, the getups those fellas wear when they’re runnin’ up and down the court blowin’ their whistles.
Now, way back when, them players, they didn’t have no fancy shorts and jerseys like they do now. Nope. They wore these… whatchamacallits… padded pants, yeah, that’s it. Padded pants that went down to their knees, and tights, also to the knees. Can you imagine? Runnin’ around like that? Must’ve been hot as blazes in them things.
Nowadays, it’s all matchy-matchy, you know? Jersey and shorts, same color. But I remember a time, not so long ago, when them shorts, they were all different colors. Looked kinda funny, if you ask me. Like they just grabbed whatever was clean outta the laundry basket.
- Them shirts, though, that’s where the real story is. See, for a long time, them refs, they wore stripes. Black and white stripes, like a zebra. Made ’em stand out, I guess. Easy to spot when they’re callin’ a foul.
- But then, in 1971, somethin’ changed. They went and got rid of them stripes. Just like that. Poof! Gone. Started wearin’ this plain gray color instead. Muted gray, they call it. Sounds fancy, but it’s just… gray.
Now, the college fellas, them NCAA refs, they still got some stripes, but they also got the gray option. And they got these black shoulders on their shirts. Don’t know why, but that’s how they do it.
So, how’d them stripes get started in the first place? Well, there was this fella, Olds, his name was. He was a ref, see? And he figured them stripes would help folks see him better. Smart fella, that Olds. Got a friend to make him a black and white striped shirt, wore it to some championship game back in 1921, and bam! Everybody started copyin’ him. That’s how things go, you know? One person does somethin’, and everybody else jumps on the bandwagon.
And let me tell you, them refs, they ain’t all the same. You got your head ref, the big cheese, and then you got one or two other fellas helpin’ him out. They call ’em umpires sometimes. Depends on if they got two or three of ’em workin’ the game. In the NBA, that is.
It’s kinda funny, when you think about it. All this fuss over what them refs wear. But I guess it matters, right? Gotta be able to see ’em, gotta know who’s in charge. And them uniforms, they’ve changed a lot over the years. From padded pants to fancy shorts and jerseys for the players, and from stripes to gray for the refs. Who knows what they’ll be wearin’ next? Maybe they’ll all start wearin’ capes and sparkly shoes! Wouldn’t that be somethin’?
But seriously, them uniforms, they’re part of the game. Just like the ball and the hoops and the squeaky sneakers. And while they might not be as flashy as the players’ uniforms, they’re just as important. So next time you’re watchin’ a game, take a look at them refs. See what they’re wearin’. And remember, it ain’t just about the clothes. It’s about makin’ the calls, keepin’ the game fair, and makin’ sure everybody plays by the rules. That’s what really matters, ain’t it?
And that’s about all I gotta say about them NBA officials uniforms. It ain’t rocket science, but it’s somethin’ to think about, I reckon. So there ya have it, my two cents on the matter.
Tags: [NBA, Officials, Uniforms, Referees, History, Evolution, Stripes, Gray, NCAA, Basketball]
