FACE MASK TRIBUTE: What a way to finish…
Apparently, the Da Vinci of face masks worked for the San Antonio Spurs in the late ‘90’s. I recognize Will Perdue in the silver matte finish, but I have NO CLUE who the guy is rocking the shiny black.
Hell, those might not even serve a medical purpose. Those could be purely decorative. Zorro. Batman villains.
Check out the rest of the Face Mask Tribute.
***ADDENDUM***
We have reader confirmation of #11. @gospurs927: Brandon Williams
Face Mask Tribute: Oscar Robertson [click to enlarge]
St. Louis, MO - Feb 12, 1967: MASKED MARVEL - “The protective mask Oscar Robertson wore in St. Louis today apparently didn’t hurt his shooting eye. He’s watching a free throw flick the net giving his Cincinnati Royals one more point in a futile attempt to catch the Hawks who won the National Basketball Association game 118-115. Robertson was top scorer with 36 points. The mask was designed to protect the Royals’ star from lumps on an injured mouth.”
Lawrence Journal-World - Feb 16, 1967: Oscar the Same Old Wizard Despite a Mars Face Mask - “Oscar Robertson looks like a man from Mars in the cumbersome face guard he wears to protect his injured mouth but he’s just the same old Wizard of Oz to the New York Knickerbockers.
Robertson put on one of his routine shows against the Knicks Wednesday night, leading Cincinnati to a 129-118 home court victory. The Big O scored 46 points and added 14 assists in his one man blitz against New York.”
You can’t pay tribute to the face mask without talking about Rudy Tomjanovich. If you don’t know about the Kermit Washington Punch, grab an old-timey bullet, bite on it and watch.
I make fun of almost everything, but I’m uncomfortable watching that clip. Tomjanovich almost died that night. If anyone deserved to wear a face mask for the rest of his life, it’s Rudy T.
