Why do NBA Players Wear Mouthguards? If you look at an NBA player you see that they don’t wear many accessories during the game, their jerseys seem so simple, they don’t even have sleeves. If you compare the look of the NBA players to the ones in NHL or NFL, the basketball players look pretty simple.

But if you try to take a deeper look there are more things than just a jersey, shorts, and fancy snickers. The NBA players often wear headbands, shooting sleeves, bands that protect their elbows or knees but some of them also have mouthguards.

The purpose of wearing a mouthguard is to protect the teeth and gums. Mouthguards are worn to absorb the impact of an accidental hit to the face. Through the use of a mouthguard, the risk of mouth injuries is reduced.

What type of mouthguards are there?

There are two main categories of mouthguards: those that are made to protect teeth from trauma from sports or other athletic activities and guards that are made for patients with bruxism or teeth grinding. These types of appliances serve different purposes and will look and feel different. There are also different ways patients get mouthguards. The types of mouthguards include custom-fitted, boil-and-bite, other adjustable over-the-counter mouthguards, and regular mouthguards that fit all sizes.

Are there any NBA rules regarding mouthguards?

We have taken a look at how mouthguards are created for NBA players and what impact they have on the NBA.

There are many rules in the NBA that apply to what the players are allowed or are not allowed to wear during games and the mouthguards are part of the equipment that is left to players to choose if they will wear it or not.

Steph Curry and his mouthguard?

Probably the most popular player that wears a mouthguard is Steph Curry and he has been wearing it even before he got to the NBA. It all started when he was playing in his sophomore at the University of Davidson when the Citadel’s Jon Brick elbowed him to the face. This ‘defensive move’ cost Curry seven stitches. Ever since then, Curry made a promise to himself that he will never distance himself from a mouthpiece.

Interestingly, midway he began to get creative with his guard. He would pull half of it out from his mouth, chew it, allow the cameramen to capture the stunt, then make a free throw, and pull it back again. To some, this might appear gross, but to others, it might make perfect sense because that habit leads to him performing better.

This comment can raise many eyebrows, but it’s pure data analytics talking. As per a study by the Wall Street Journal, Curry’s FTs improve by 3%, from 89% to 92% when he chews his toy. In fact, other such peculiar data suggests that Curry increased his chewing time by a large percentage from 2014-15 to 2015-2016.

His mouthguards have become so popular that they have a couple of Twitter accounts and one has been sold at an auction for $3,000.

Alongside many benefits that Curry had from his mouthguard, it has also brought him some troubles.

Back in 2017, in a moment of frustration in a game against the Memphis Grizzlies, Steph Curry threw his mouthpiece towards a referee after what he found was a bad call. He was fined $50,000 for that which he found pretty surprising.

“It’s an expensive mouthpiece toss,” Curry said after the fine was announced. “At the end of the day, it’s not about the money, it’s about me not doing stupid stuff and losing my cool like that. It’s obviously a tough blow, but it’s more so about me recognizing how to handle myself on the court.”

Curry was frustrated after the officials didn’t call a foul while he drove to the basket late in the fourth quarter. Curry maintained he didn’t intend to throw the mouthpiece toward the official.

Curry acknowledged he needs to stop throwing his mouthpiece when he becomes frustrated during games, however, and apologized for the incident.

“It was embarrassing, and I know that,” Curry said. “I can’t do that. I know the league wants to crack down on that type of behavior and I understand why. I’ve got to be better than that.”

It wasn’t Curry’s first mouthpiece incident. During Game 6 of the 2016 NBA Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Curry hit a fan with his mouthpiece after hurling it in anger after fouling out of the game. He was fined $25,000 for that incident.

The league reportedly chose to fine Curry in this latest incident rather than suspend him after deciding it couldn’t prove any intent to throw the mouthpiece toward the official.

Curry certainly does not regret wearing his mouthguard since it has saved his teeth numerous times as he is the main target of the opponents’ defenses.

Players who have regretted not wearing a mouthguard

There are players who actually regret not wearing one.

The first one that comes to my mind is former Houston Rockets forward Carl Landry…and also Dirk Nowitzki.

Back in 2009, a collision between Nowitzki and  Landry left the Mavericks forward with a gashed elbow and Landry with five cracked or knocked-out teeth.

Landry was called for fouling Nowitzki as the German superstar drove hard to his left to set up a short jumper and caught Landry with his right elbow. Landry was taken to an emergency room for treatment.

The Mavericks found pieces of two teeth embedded in Nowitzki’s elbow and had to spend 30 minutes cleaning the cut before administering  X-rays, which were found to be negative.

Nowitzki shot two free throws left-handed immediately after the play. By taking the free throws, Nowitzki made 1 of 2, he remained eligible to return to the game. But a return was ruled out entering the fourth quarter, with Nowitzki having received three stitches.

Another player who paid the price for not wearing a mouthguard is former Indiana Pacers All-Star Danny Granger.

Danny Granger at one point was a star of the league. One of his many highlights was an unfortunate incident with fellow star Paul Pierce of the Boston Celtics. Both players went diving for a loose ball, as all players are encouraged to do.

Unfortunately for Granger, his face hit the floor and the star’s smile got the worst of the impact. Luckily for Danny Granger, he signed a huge contract extension the day before. So he was able to use some of those millions towards repairing his superstar smile.

More than a decade ago, Steve Nash in his prime was attacked by the opponents on regular basis in order to stop his creative passes and drives to the basket. As Nash was just an ordinary guy among giants he often was beaten down.

Back in 2010, in a game against the Lakers, Nash got a bloody forehead, broken nose and a couple of teeth knocked out. His teammates couldn’t believe what happened but also praised Nash for his toughness.

“That’s Steve Nash, man,” Suns guard Jason Richardson said with a mix of admiration and disbelief. “He’s used to stuff like that. He gets hit in the face all the time.”

In 2017, Portland Trail Blazers center Jusuf Nurkic lost two teeth. While jumping for a rebound during the fourth quarter of the Blazers’ game against the Toronto Raptors, forward P.J. Tucker inadvertently whacked Nurkic. The big man fell to the floor and cradled his mouth, only to discover Tucker had accidentally knocked out two of his teeth.

Nurkic didn’t let that sideline him, however. After getting cleaned up, the Bosnian center hopped right back into the game.

Another European Player who has regretted not wearing a mouthguard on multiple occasions is Goran Dragic.

In 2015, playing for the Miami Heat, Dragic got an elbow from the Hawks big men Al Horford which cost him a tooth. To make things even funnier, Dragic received a personal foul in the process. The very next year against the Detroit Pistons, Dragic got hit in the mouth, lost a tooth, pulled the tooth out of his mouth, and casually tossed it to the bench as he continued playing.

Former Brooklyn Nets forward Reggie Evans was known as a fierce defender and rebounder who was always ready to sacrifice his body in order to pick up a loose ball. Back in 2013, Evans was running down the court fighting for rebounds on both ends when he got hit in the mouth. He kept playing as nothing happened but when he used the first break to seek treatment it was obvious what has happened.

Another situation involving mouthguard that got the attention of the fans was when Channing Frye dropped his mouthguard at the floor prior to shooting a free throw. When everybody thought that he will have a problem with the cleanings of it, Frye just put it back in his mouth bringing laughter in the stands.