The NBA’s push to utilize KN95 and KF94 masks appears to be an attempt to improve the league’s COVID-19 protocols. On the surface, the new standardization of masks should do just that. But if the use of N95 masks is to be truly effective, players sporting facial hair could be in for a change.
In April of 2020, ABC News featured a story by Dr. Delaram J. Taghipour that touched on the best practices that should be utilized with N95-style masks. In the story, Taghipour explained that facial hair can impede the effectiveness of the mask.