Perhaps there is no sport in the world more connected to sneakers than basketball. Many NBA players wear them to send important messages and showcase their personalities on court.
And now, thanks to a new policy, the NBA will strengthen its status as the most stylish sports league in the world. When the 2018-2019 NBA season kicked off in October, the NBA lifted its colour restrictions on players’ sneakers. It is the first time in the league’s 72-year history that it has allowed shoes to be of any colour a player likes, as long as no reflective (反光的) material is included.
In the past, the NBA required “uniformity (一致性) of uniform”, meaning each player’s shoes had to match those worn by the rest of the team. Their sneakers had to be at least 51 percent black or white, with an element of team colour.
This landmark rule change is part of the NBA’s collective effort to support players “statements” on and off the court. “More and more people realize that limitation of the colour of players’ shoes actually constrains (限制) their personal expression and storytelling,” CNN News noted.
Sometimes a shoe was worn in a memorable game, or the design of a shoe has meaning for the player.
Before Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant, nicknamed “the Black Mamba”, retired, it was said that he wore a new pair of sneakers to each game and stored his used sneakers.
Bryant brought the low-top style of sneaker with a Mamba print to the forefront in 2008 to symbolize the spirit of perseverance and bravery. In 2013,Bryant added nine red stitches (缝针) to the back of his shoe to represent the nine stitches from his Achilles tendon surgery. “It has become an attitude. That is my Mamba personality,” Bryant told Sports Illustrated magazine.
Kyrie Irving of the Boston, Celtics wears probably the most famous signature sneakers. Inspired by his mother, who died when he was four, he has a rose on one side of his shoe to represent her. All of his sneakers are also inscribed (刻) with the words, “JBY (Just Be You)”.“Just Be You is the motto I live by every single day, because I’m happy to be an individual. It’s a beautiful thing,” Irving told UK media site Give Me Sport.
There is no end to the stories about sneakers in basketball. It’s certain that they will remain a platform for players who want to use them to express their ideas and personalities.
1.According to the new policy, the NBA players _____.
A.may choose sneakers they like without restriction
B.should wear sneakers in their own team colour
C.have to choose sneakers either in black or in white
D.have more freedom in choosing personal sneakers
2.What can we infer from Paragraph 4?
A.Uniformity guarantees better results.
B.The new rule leads to controversy.
C.The NBA cares little about players' statements.
D.Players' personal expression also counts.
3.Which of the following is used to express family value?
A.A rose. B.JBY. C.A Mamba print. D.Nine red stitches.
