Pro basketball players are raiding football's wardrobe for protection. JOHN MARSHALL has the story of HexPads.
These could ease low-post wear-and-tear. (AP Photo/McDavid USA)
Escape with fewer bumps and bruises, wearing this. (AP Photo/Courtesy of McDavid USA)
If you're looking for proof that the NBA is getting more physical, just take a peek under the players' shorts.
No, really.
Underneath the uniforms of players across the NBA are products called HexPads, which are essentially spandex garments fitted with cushioning at key locations.
Made by McDavid (http://mcdavidusa.com/ ), the HexPads feature dozens of foam hexagons that protect players' thighs, hips and tailbones. There's also a shirt designed to shield the spine and ribs, and even a HexPad sports bra.
Unlike padding of the past -- which tended to be bulkier, less flexible and was a separate piece of equipment -- the pads are fused into snug shirts and shorts, allowing them to better conform to the body.
The Chicago-area company has produced protective sportswear for years in soccer and football, but didn't get into the NBA market until 2004, when Miami's Shaquille O'Neal was seen on TV wearing a HexPad shirt -- on loan from the Miami Dolphins -- to protect bruised ribs.
Now the company estimates that as many as two-thirds of the NBA's players wear some version of the HexPad, including LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Paul.
The most popular of McDavid's products are the Thudd pants, which allow players with thigh bruises to return sooner and keep hamstrings warm while they're on the bench. Company designers also have started creating custom gear, like a chest pad for Los Angeles Lakers forward Ronny Turiaf, who had open-heart surgery two years ago, and the sleeve Wade has been wearing to protect his separated shoulder.
McDavid's roots go back to 1969, when Dr. Robert F. McDavid designed the first widely used lateral protective knee brace in football. The company now produces over 400 products for nearly a dozen sports, including a category for referees and officials.
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John Marshall is asap's sports reporter, based in Denver.
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