Purists and ballers alike may be aghast at the news that sleeves are coming to more NBA jerseys this upcoming season, but be prepared for them to stay. For good. It’s all about the Benjamins, people.

The Golden State Warriors were the first to break ground late last season when they introduced stretchy sleeved jerseys made by Adidas for their last three home games. Now, as many as 20 NBA teams will have sleeved versions among their alternate uniform options next season. Some teams will unveil them on the Christmas day games.

When it comes to selling sports jerseys, the NFL outpaces all American sports leagues by a long mile. When was the last time you saw an NFL jersey with no sleeves? Yeah, on some dude in the ’70s.

Who else has sleeves? Major League Baseball? Check. Major League Soccer? Check. The NHL? Check.

The NBA is totally alone in its sleeveless world, but that world is about to come to an end.

Sleeved jerseys – join the club

If you hadn’t noticed, sports jerseys are sold to regular people. Millions more regular people than professional athletes wear sports jerseys. And, if you’ve ever seen an episode of “Cops,” regular people don’t look so great in tank tops. If you’re out of shape and have string beans for arms, the sleeved look is a lot more flattering.

That’s right. With these new short-sleeved unis, the NBA will be making bank and helping the fashion-challenged, one sports fan at a time.

So to those brave NBA teams—yes, we’re looking at you, Los Angeles Lakers—who suit up in moisture-wicking, short-sleeved jerseys next season… we salute you and your sartorial splendor. And we’ll be waiting for a coupon code to buy one.

[pullquote]We’re an entertainment industry. So, you know, you got to make products that people can wear.  — Steve Nash, L.A. Lakers point guard[/pullquote]

Sleeves are Coming to the NBA, People