Tuesday 10 September 2019 16:18, UK
NBA players will be banned from wearing "ninja-style" headwear during the 2019-20 season amid safety concerns.
The headbands have caused alarm among some NBA teams because of the design's loose ties on the back.
"Teams have raised concerns regarding safety and consistency of size, length, and how they are tied, which requires a thorough review before consideration of any rule change," said NBA spokesman Mike Bass.
High profile players such as Jimmy Butler of the Miami Heat and Karl-Anthony Towns of the Minnesota Timberwolves have sported the headwear over the past year.
"When some players began wearing them last season, we didn't want to cause a disruption by intervening midseason, but we notified our teams in May that they would not be part of this season's uniforms," said Bass.
"The ninja-style headwear is not part of the NBA uniform and hasn't been through the league approval process."
Detroit Pistons star Blake Griffin mocked the NBA's decision on Twitter.
"I love that someone at the NBA had to type the words 'ninja-style hardware' (sic) and 'consistency of size and length' as their job today," Griffin posted.
Teams were made aware of the NBA's decision in May, but before an official rule change is made, details of the headband's size and length will be discussed by the NBA Competition Committee.
