Rise of the NBA Nerd

It’s no secret that the NBA is dominated by black athletes. For decades, these athletes carried with them a sort of culture and image that was unchallenged and untouched. However, over the past few years, this image and culture has begun to shift and change as black superstars are dressing in more “plushness, flamboyance, [and] glamour.” Wesley Morris discusses this shift in his article and the impact it has made on black culture and society. Morris believes this shift in clothing and appearance is a statement by these superstars, saying that it’s okay to be a “nerd,” to be educated, clean, and classy.

Morris is positive about the statement that NBA superstars and famous rappers are making by the way they dress. He talks about Carlton from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and how the way he dressed and acted “gave some black people pause.” A decade ago, dressing in nicer clothes might say that you are educated and cleaned up, and a black man dressed that way would be viewed as a nerd or of the white culture rather than the black culture. However, with black superstars beginning to dress in “cardigans and black frames” and “usher[ing] in the chic of the black nerd,” the cultural thoughts and perceptions about how a black man should look or behave are a thing of the past. Morris sees this movement as a great opportunity for young black people to see these men succeeding and looking the part as well, and hopes that their style will reflect onto the younger black generations and let them know that it’s okay to break the mold and be a “nerd,” if it means success.

I personally believe that the way we dress and how we present ourselves can very much be a statement. How you dress can often speak volumes about who you are. How will people’s thoughts of you differ if you go out in big, baggy, warn out clothes as opposed to a nice, clean outfit? Clothes are a big way of expressing yourself and can be used to make a statement. We’re seeing more and more flamboyant, vibrant, colorful clothing in pop culture nowadays, and I think it’s a statement about who these people are. Wearing an eye-poppingly bright pair of shoes might tell others that you want to stand out. Wearing a nice tie and cardigan says that you’re a man of finer things. I absolutely think that the way you dress yourself can be a statement.