So are the companies that have entered this burgeoning apparel category. McDavid is suing Nike and Adidas, citing patent infringement.
Derek Kent, a Nike spokesman, said that the lawsuit lacked factual merit and that Nike filed for its own patent nearly two years ago.
The popularity of the padded garments for basketball has been a coup for McDavid.
“If you go back into the ‘70s, guys are wearing knee pads,” Corpuz said. “Padding isn’t outside of the culture. Our biggest challenge was changing the mind-set of the average basketball player that padding was already there.”
Still, some players bristle at wearing body pads, fearing that they may restrict movement or questioning the need for them in the first place.
“Those guys who use them bang a lot,” veteran Nets guard Keyon Dooling said. “They get the ball a lot more than me. Over the years, I’ve learned how to avoid being hit by the big guys.”
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