💪 Why Do NBA Players Wear Arm Sleeves?

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Happy Wednesday,

In the early 2000s, NBA training rooms didn’t look anything like they do today.

There were no performance departments, no sports science teams, no recovery staff tracking sleep, load, or readiness. Most teams only had two or three people handling everything from taping ankles to emergency medical coverage to travel logistics.

And somehow, out of that stripped-down, improvisational era came one of the most iconic pieces of equipment in sports history.

This week, Jake and I sat down with Lenny Currier, a longtime athletic trainer whose career spans the league’s most chaotic era and whose quick thinking quietly created the iconic shooting sleeve.

What started as routine injury management for Allen Iverson turned into a global accessory, a multibillion-dollar compression category, and a perfect case study in how sports, medicine, and culture have changed.

🎧 [Listen to our full episode with former NBA athletic trainer, Lenny Currier]

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5 Takeaways From Our Conversation With Lenny Currier

1. Breaking Into Pro Sports Used to Be Pure Hustle

When Lenny came up, there was no pipeline into pro sports medicine. No fellowships. No performance tracks.

• NBA medical staffs were often 2–3 people total, compared to 10–15+ today

• Trainers learned through apprenticeships, networking, and doing whatever the team needed

• “You weren’t hired to specialize. You were hired to solve problems.”

Young trainers today would be shocked by how much responsibility fell on so few people, with almost no technology to lean on.

2. Trainers Did Everything, Because There Was No One Else

In the early 2000s, the job description was brutal and straightforward.

• Tape ankles

• Rehab injuries

• Travel with the team

• Handle emergencies

• Manage player relationships

• Make judgment calls with real consequences

“There was no margin for error,” Lenny told us. “You had to earn trust fast, especially with star players.”

That trust would matter more than anyone realized.

3. The Shooting Sleeve Was an Accident, Not a Product

During his MVP season in 2001, Allen Iverson developed bursitis in his shooting elbow, which led to swelling, irritation, and pain.

Lenny didn’t need innovation. He needed something light that wouldn’t mess with Iverson’s shot.

So he cut a piece of compression stockinette, essentially medical tubing, and slid it on.

Iverson wore it.
He dropped 51 points.
Then averaged 35+ per game the rest of the season.

At first, it was medical. Then it became superstition. Then it became identity.

“There was no thought about looks,” Lenny said. “It was just ‘does this help him play?’”

4. From Medical Fix to Global Culture

Once Iverson kept wearing it, everyone noticed.

• Under Armour reached out with a custom nylon version, still stitched by hand

• Other players copied it, even without injuries

• The sleeve became the NBA’s most universal accessory

And then social media happened.

In a pre-social world, it might have stayed niche. With Iverson’s cultural gravity, it became a fashion piece.

Despite helping spark a multibillion-dollar compression and performance category, Lenny never patented the idea.

He laughs about it now. “That wasn’t the job. The job was getting the player on the floor.”

5. Sports Medicine Has Grown Up, And That’s the Point

Today’s performance environment would have been unrecognizable in 2001.

• Specialists in biomechanics, data, nutrition, sleep, and mental performance

• GPS, wearables, force plates, and injury prediction models

• Athletes now embrace preventative care, not just rehab

“Back then, guys only came in when something was wrong,” Lenny said. “Now they want to stay ahead of it.”

Even at the college level, including Villanova lacrosse, where Lenny works today, the setup mirrors pro teams from a decade ago.

The trainer role has evolved from tape-and-treat to strategist, data interpreter, and performance coordinator.

Why It Matters

The shooter sleeve is more than a cool origin story.

It’s a snapshot of how sports actually evolve: from necessity → to performance → to culture.

The same industry that once relied on improvisation now runs on data, prevention, and brand awareness. Equipment is no longer just functional, it’s identity, marketing, and culture.

And sometimes, the biggest shifts don’t start in a boardroom or a lab.

They start with a trainer, a pair of scissors, and the simple question: “Does this help him play?”

[Listen to our full episode with Lenny Currier]

📩 And don’t forget: Bottom of the Ninth is back this Friday with the top three stories in sports and business from the week.

See you then,
Tyler & Jake