If you’ve watched a basketball game or two, you may realize that after a game when two players from opposite teams embrace each other, they cover their mouths with either their hands or their jersey. If you’re wondering why, let’s dive into the multiple reasons they may do this.
Why Players Cover Their Mouth When Talking
There could be multiple different reasons why basketball players will cover their mouths. Let’s dive into what they could be.
During The Game
If you witness a player do it during the game, it may be because they’re trying to keep the other team from reading their lips. Let’s say you want to communicate to your teammates that you want to switch to a zone defense. If players from the other team read your lips and know you’re going to surprise them with a zone, they will be able to execute their offense a bit better. By covering your mouth, they won’t be able to see what you’re saying.
Also, if there is intense trash talk during a game, a player might cover their mouth so the camera can’t pick up the bad words they used in the heated debate.
After The Game
Another scenario is a scenario I mentioned above in the introduction paragraph, and that’s covering their mouth while talking after a game. One player that does this often is Lebron James. So the main reason players do this is so that cameras can’t pick up what they are saying. For example, when Lonzo ball was a rookie with the Lakers and Lebron was still in Cleveland, Lebron covered his mouth while talking so the cameras didn’t pick up on the advice that he was giving Lonzo. Here’s that moment right here:
Conclusion
So when you see a player covering their mouths, it’s most likely because they don’t want people to see what they are saying. Whether it’s the media, or other players from the opposite team.