A.I.'s Arm-Lenght Sleeve: For Game or For Show?
November 2nd 2007 09:54
My good friend Harry is wondering what A.I. is wearing on his arm. Read below for "The Answer."
I had just received a comment for my last post from Harry. He saw the second picture that I placed. It was Allen iverson doing an uncontested lay-up. What caught his attention was not A.I.'s graceful form or his determined rim-fixated eyes. It was the "thing" that is being worn on the arm of the former rookie of the year and NBA scoring champion.
How did that piece of accessory got Harry's attention? Was it the color? Nah... white is so common and can be ignored easily. Is it the lenght of it? Could be. It's extending from the wrist up to the lower edge of the deltoid and the wearer of it was doing a lay-up with the wrapped arm no wonder it will be noticed. Or is it because of the player that is wearing it?
This generation of basketball fans knows Mr. Iverson well enough. From his rookie year as a young and cocky shoot-first point guard in Philadelphia, who took the tag "ball-hog" to one of it's highest levels, up to the time that he turned into a veteran who became willing to spread the wealth with Carmelo Anthony in Denver; A.I. will be remembered as one of the biggest influences for the current era of ball players. When a guy is just 6'0" and can score anytime, anywhere, and anyhow against anyone; that certainly is a wonder and will get major attention.
That "thing" on Iverson's arm is what they call a SLEEVE.
Take a good look at the right his arm.
Iverson actually started to wear that gear in his 2nd year in the league with the Sixers in the '97-'98 season. It definitely gathered a lot of attention since A.I. is coming off a rookie of the year performance the previous season and that new look had basketball experts commenting with skeptical sentiments.
There are those who said that the sleeve worn on the shooting arm will hamper the loose and relaxed movement while in shooting progress and at the follow through. Obviously, they were wrong. Iverson still averaged over 20 points a game, and after 2 more years, he had broken the 30-point barrier in terms of season average enroute to a scoring championship.
So the sleeve wasn't a hindrance to A.I.'s scoring prowess. If it ain't slowing him down, does it make his shooting/scoring ability improve? Taking a look at Iverson's stats shows that his trademark gear does not matter at all. In his rookie year in '96-'97, when he still wasn't wearing the sleeve, he shot 41.6% from the field. In the next seasons of his NBA career, his season field goal percentage dipped from that norm 5 times.
This goes to show that a players gear is not worn for the purpose of enhancing in-game performance and it sure never affects player production or accuracy. So why is it worn then? Simple. It is worn to be the signature of the player, a fashion statement, an attempt at trendsetting, or whatever motive a player has to imitate his idol.
In Iverson's case, it's all about carving his own niche in the NBA. He wants his identity to be identifiable and will be remembered through time as a player all his own. Remembered when he said that he ain't no Isaiah Thomas?
But there are also other reasons why Iverson wore that sleeve. For one, it's all about accentuation. A.I. moves a lot with or without the ball. Being a player of such short stature on the playing court, he could be wearing it to stand-out and to be spotted easily by teammates and, most especially, by the fans. Being a scorer, he uses his shooting arm like 20-25 times every game and perhaps the sleeve serves as a gear to help the fans appreciate his shot making. Another reason is the fact that A.I. has a barrage of tattoos. Perhaps he wants to cut down the visibility of them which makes the sleeve a valuable gear.
The truth is that it's not only the sleeve that accentuate Iversons game. He also has cool cornrows to go with his ever-present headband and he also wears multi-colored team rubberbands in each wrist.
I believe that Allen Iverson is the originator of the sleeve in the modern day NBA. So if anyone out there knows any player from way back then who supposedly pioneered the sleeve, just let me know. Currently the sleeve is now worn on the legs too. I remember seeing the Milwaukee Bucks having most of their players wearing black ones.
Iverson is now in his 12th season as an NBA player. It's understandable that he want's his name to be etched in basketball history as an icon and not a "next somebody" in the game because of his character and competitive fire but I guess he has already realized that his time is running low and he has gotta do something fast.
Teaming up with Melo could be A.I.'s last run for a ring.
Being traded to the Nuggets to hook up with Carmelo Anthony sure is a great set-up for him. At this stage of his career, I can see a matured Allen Iverson who looks more to share the ball with teammates but maintains his scoring ability nevertheless. If Denver head coach George Karl figures out the best way to utilize the Iverson-Anthony tandem, then A.I. could probably find a way to successfully cement his place in NBA history. It is a goal that can be earned with or without wearing the sleeve.
That's it Harry. I hope I stated it clear enough for you. This post is "The Answer."
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Comment by CrazyEye
The Fans like the look of it, and then your points hit the point he uses it as a label, and some people swear that it was good for ya shooting but i believe thats more a legend^^