This Movember, Area 51 wants to celebrate mustaches, particularly those of the world’s best athletes. Since the inception of the NBA in 1949, many-a-player have sported mustaches, of many shapes and sizes.
Mustaches were very prevalent in the early days of the NBA. Legends like Walt ‘Clyde’ Frazier, and ‘Pistol’ Pete Maravich wore mustaches that were as famous as their nicknames. The 1950s-1970s was a period in which mustaches were all the rage in North America. In the time since, mustaches have gone in and out of style among men, but have never faded away.
The ‘Modern Era” in the NBA can be traced back roughly to the year 1977. Yes, the modern era probably boasts less mustaches than the prior era (although I don’t think that there are stats which confirm or deny this). That being said, certain players, and their mustaches, prevail. Let’s look back, decade by decade, at the most iconic NBA mustaches of the last 50 years.
1980s: Kurt Rambis
They don’t make ’em like Kurt Rambis anymore. Basketball-wise, Rambis was a relatively average role-player, who made important hustle plays for the 1980s Los Angeles Lakers. He was not a flashy athlete, but was beloved by fans for his unique style.
In the HBO series Winning Time, which recounts the greatness of the Lakers’ dynasty, Rambis is affectionately referred to as “the Hippie”, which is an apt way to describe him. A California guy, with goggles, shaggy hair and a bushy stache – very hippie! He didn’t sport the conventional look of a basketball player, but that was part of his charm.
Rambis is not without competition for this distinguished honour; Larry Bird famously sported a mustache in the 80s. Bird’s mustache was nothing to sneeze at (or on), but it was not as shapely or pronounced as Rambis’. Bird is not remembered for his facial hair in the way that Kurt Rambis is, and always will be.
1990s: Clyde Drexler
Clyde ‘The Glide” Drexler was the epitome of cool. He had an extensive dunk package, a silky smooth jumpshot, and an absolutely rockin’ mustache.
Clyde’s mustache was always thin and wide – wide so that the ends would curl up when he smiled. Off the court, he was known to be very friendly, but on the court, he and his mustache inspired fear in opponents.
It’s simply hard to find someone cooler than Clyde Drexler in the history of basketball. The stache plays a large part in said coolness.
2000s: Carmelo Anthony
In the 2000s, mustaches were dire. Most players were clean shaven, or if not, sported goatees and beards. Generally, in this decade, mustaches were not prominent in the popular culture zeitgeist.
Carmelo Anthony did not always wear a mustache. In fact, he only rocked this pencil stache early in his career, hardly beyond his rookie season. As he aged, he grew out his beard, and that became his look. The mustache days are memorable nonetheless.
If there was more competition, Carmelo would not have received this honor so handily, but there really wasn’t any.
2010s: LeBron James
This is another example of a mustache that was short lived. The brief tenure does not make it less iconic. If anything, “Mustache LeBron” is the most iconic on this whole list.
With the advent of social media, people are constantly reminded of this era in LeBron’s illustrious career. He sported the stache for Movember, and it was his second year back with Cavaliers after spending four years with the Miami Heat. In that brilliant month of November, the Cavaliers went 11-3, and LeBron averaged a cool 26 points in the process.
“Mustache LeBron” happened during the season in which he lead the Cavs to their first NBA Championship, only contributing to the stache’s legend.
LeBron’s Cavalier teammate, Kevin Love, also wore a nifty mustache in the 2010s. It was bushy and defined, but it was not as memorable as LeBron’s. Most things about LeBron are iconic, mustache included.
2020s: Bruce Brown
Bruce Brown is a modern cowboy, and a national treasure. He has rocked all sorts of facial hair, but is known for his mustache-game. He has worn a curly mustache, a pencil stache, a handlebar, etc. Who knows what other staches he has in his bag?
While we are only halfway through this decade, no player has rivaled Brown’s mustache selection or creativity. There is time for other guys to try. Hopefully Brown can inspire more mustaches across the association.
Be sure to follow Area 51 Sports Network for more fun NBA content. Happy Movember!
Make sure you keep coming back to see the latest mustache article this month. The schedule is down below and if you missed any choose from the green leagues to check out that Movember article.
If you would like to donate to the Movember foundation click here!
