100 Objects #14: Basketball Sleeve

Producer and reporter Ramtin Arablouei has a simple question: why are so many NBA players wearing a compression sleeve on their arm? It seems like everyone has one. Do they all have elbow issues? The answer is really the story of Allen Iverson, an underdog player who went from a prison cell to international fame in just a few years. And through the story of him and his sleeve, you can see the whole history of basketball’s relationship with race, with respectability politics, and who gets to look like what on the court.

Host: Roman Mars

Producer: Ramtin Arablouei

EPs: Annie Brown, Courtney Harrell, Kathy Tu