Apparently NBA players are bitching about having sleeved jerseys, but the NBA is keeping them because they sell extremely well. I’ll tell you why they’re selling well: Because for any fan, the basketball jersey is, by far, the hardest jersey to pull off. It takes a lot of confidence to walk out into the world with bare shoulders and your [luscious] pit hair sticking out and repulsing everyone. NBA players look great in sleeveless jerseys because NBA players are world class athletes. The rest of us are not. You get really self-conscious really quickly when you’re standing there in a basketball jersey. You are already halfway to playing for the skins team, and playing for the skins team is TERRIFYING. If I’m an NBA fan and I have a choice between rocking the beater or a sleeved jersey, I’m going sleeves every time. It’s not even close.
Drew Magary articulating a fear I know all too well: getting picked by the skins team.
-Pete
Image: The Spurs’ Tony Parker looking salty in a sleeved jersey.