Some NBA teams banning children backpacks in effort to stop hazing

In the wake of the Richie Incognito/Jonathan Martin situation, bullying and hazing has taken front page importance to other leagues like MLB and the NBA. Knowing this, some teams have decided to put a stop to as much ‘hazing’ as possible as teams are reportedly banning the use of children’s backpacks, a staple of being a rookie in professional sports for years.

One such team banning the bags are the Minnesota Timberwolves, who informed the players they no longer want rookies to wear the backpacks:

"Timberwolves rookie Shabazz Muhammad said team President Chris Wright and GM Milt Newton informed players they no longer wanted rookies wearing child-themed backpacks. Muhammad had been issued a Jonas Brothers backpack to wear on trips.“They actually said they don’t want us carrying them, but I understand with the stuff going on with the football thing,” said Muhammad, who entered the draft after one season at UCLA. “They want to be separate from that… Now I think rookie hazing won’t exist anymore.”"

Often times, you see rookies in the NHL, NBA, NFL and MLB wearing a goofy backpack as they make their way out of the locker room or down to the bullpen in the case of Major League Baseball simply as a badge to disclose their a rookie.

But apparently, some teams feel that leads to further, more damaging hazing so in an effort to curb it all together, the T’Wolves and fellow teams have decided to end the tradition.

One can only wonder how long before Major League Baseball (the only sport where you can actually see the backpacks on the field/court of play – as pictured above) follows suit.