NBA may dump short-sleeve jerseys; LeBron James will be relieved

Short-sleeved NBA jerseys may become a thing of the past before ever really becoming a thing of the present.

“Ultimately, if the players don’t like them, we’ll move on to something else,” Commissioner Adam Silver told Bleacher Report.

Players don’t like them -- at least, many players don’t, including the biggest NBA star of them all right now, Miami’s LeBron James.

“I’ve had conversations with LeBron [James] about the jerseys, and we agreed that we would park the issue until the end of the season,” Silver said. “And that once the season is over, he expressed an interest in sitting down with me and Sal LaRocca [the NBA’s president of merchandising] and discussing his point of view.”

James actually has already made his point of view on the new-fangled jerseys loud and clear -- he hates them.

He blamed the tight-fitting tops -- which have been used by certain teams at sporadically since their debut on Christmas Day -- for his 6-for-18 performance in a March 6 loss to San Antonio.

“I’m not a big fan of the jerseys, not a big fan of them,” the Miami Heat superstar told reporters that night. “I’ve got to figure something out the next time I wear the short-sleeved jerseys.”

Many other players -- such as Dallas’ Dirk Nowitzki, Portland’s Robin Lopez and Cleveland’s Jarrett Jack -- have voiced negative opinions on the jerseys as well. Many players feel like James, that the shirts impede their shooting ability. Others think the garments just look silly.

“I don’t regret doing it for this season,” Silver said. “But it’s intended to be something fun for the fans and the players. And if it becomes a serious issue, as to whether players should be wearing sleeves, we’ll likely move onto other things.”