If you have ever gotten great seats at a basketball game you may notice that you don’t see much body hair on players legs, armpits, or legs. Some players may shave their legs for purely aesthetic reasons, while others shave body hair to avoid having it pulled during the course of a game. You might wonder, do basketball players shave their legs?

Most basketball players shave their legs to enhance muscle definition, cut down on chafing, and because body hair collects sweat. Shaving your legs or other parts of your body has become more popular as the game has advanced and you likely aren’t able to notice it unless you start to look for it on TV or at a game. Read on below for reasons why basketball players shave their legs.

Reasons basketball players shave their legs

1. Chafing

Having hairy legs can create chafing issues in your shorts, tights, or socks which can be extremely uncomfortable for basketball players.

Basketball players perform tons of stopping and starting throughout the game so they will want to have the most comfortable clothing and socks as possible to avoid having any issues.

Shaving your legs prevents friction between your leg hair and socks or shorts that can cause skin irritation that can knock you out of the game.

2. Muscle Definition

Let’s face it, professional basketball players are also valuable as product endorsers and advertisers so they care a ton about their appearance.

Having a fit or muscular appearance is very important to some athletes and shaving leg and body hair is one way to help improve definition.

Once legs are shaved some players will use lotion to give their calves a shiny appearance which helps them look muscular.

3. Hair collects sweat

Hair can be a commonplace for sweat to collect which can make basketball players feel like they are carrying around additional weight.

When basketball players shave their legs or arms, it is easier for them to wipe the sweat off directly into a towel without the sweat being retained on body hair.

Everyone has probably been in a pickup basketball game against a big hairy guy that is covered in sweat in what seems like every inch of his body. These are the type of players that would really benefit from shaving their legs. 

4. Avoid bacteria collection

Basketball players sweat almost throughout the entire game and the last thing a player wants is to smell their own body odor throughout the whole game.

Another benefit of having shaved legs is that it avoids sweat from accumulating on hair which will then start to smell as the game goes on. 

Do athletes shave their legs?

Not all athletes shave their legs but most that are in contact sports or swimming do to eliminate any friction that could slow them down by even a fraction of a second.

Swimming is the sport that is most popular to have shaved legs and no body hair to be able to help cut through the water in the most aerodynamic fashion possible.

Most football players wear long socks or compression pants so there is little need to shave their legs and it is tough for the average fan to tell if they do shave their legs or not.

It is rare to see arm hair on football players so that leads me to believe that they likely shave their legs as well to avoid chafing and odor issues.

Do basketball players wear deodorant?

I would think that over 90% of basketball players are wearing deodorant for the same reasons that the normal person wears it.

There can be a competitive advantage to not wearing deodorant in that if you smell horrible your opponent may be less motivated to want to guard you.

I remember a kid on my high school basketball team that had this issue and during practice everyone would never want to be the one to guard him since he smelled so bad!

Do basketball players shave their armpits?

Most professional basketball players shave their armpits to reduce the amount of odor that they smell throughout the game. 

Basketball players run throughout the whole game and are sweating for the majority of it. Body hair is one way that helps make sweat smell worse than it needs to and shaving it is a good way to reduce the amount of odor that is released.

Do Soccer Players shave their legs?

Yes, most soccer players shave their legs for the same reason as other sports do.

Here is a video someone put together on reasons why soccer players shave their legs:

What are some of the thighs to consider if you shave your legs as a basketball player?

Invest in good razors

If you plan to shave your legs you will want to invest in high-quality razors so that you don’t end up cutting your legs by mistake.

Having an accidental cut from shaving can be very painful once you start sweating and could lead to a stinging feeling.

Razors can add up so be sure that you have the budget to afford to invest in high-quality razors each month and stay on top of the maintenance.

Time Consuming

Shaving a large area like your legs is time-consuming and you will want to make sure you have the time to shave every spot.

If you commit to shaving your legs nothing will look worse than if you miss a spot as it will be sure to stand out.

Create a consistent shaving routine just like you would for your haircut so that you can avoid your leg hair from getting too long which will only make the shaving process much longer than it needs to be.

Consider trimming your leg hair

If shaving your legs is not something you want to do as an athlete another option is to trim your leg hair so that you get some of the benefits of shaving your legs and you can still maintain some body hair.

A beard trimmer with different guard sizes is a great way to experiment with the hair length that is the best fit for you and the look you want to achieve.

Do basketball players shave their legs conclusion

Most professional basketball players shave their legs because they have a long season and it is their full-time job. If you are not all in on shaving your legs it can become a major headache if you do it half-heartedly. So if you are going to do it go all in and enjoy the benefits of playing sports without your hair holding you back!