Sports

Athletes Dropping Thousands On Tricked-Out Mouthpieces

Scott Cook Contributor
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Athletes are always looking for ways to add a little extra swagger to their in-game attire. It’s common to see athletes rock gold cleats, multi-colored socks, patterned gloves and other flashy accessories during competition as a fashion statement. The latest trend among professional athletes? Tricked-out mouthpieces.

TMZ Sports reports that professional athletes are spending thousands of dollars on diamond and gold mouthpieces.

NBA, NFL and boxing stars have been dropping fat stacks on these pimped-out mouthpieces. NBA star Nate Robinson recently copped a mouthpiece coated in real gold flakes. The price tag for Robinson’s sleek pearly-white protector? A cool $5,300.

The mastermind behind these meretricious mouthpieces is Dr. Michael Wright of “The WrightGuard.”

Wright told TMZ that athletes have been flocking to him to score some of these high-end protective mouth guards. He even said that he’s been approached by a Super Bowl player who requested a diamond-encrusted mouthpiece for the big game.

Wright, who declined to reveal the player’s identity, said, “The Super Bowl athlete brought his own diamonds, I don’t know how many carats, but they were huge.”

Wright says his mouthpieces endure a three-layer process to ensure that gold, silver and diamonds are tightly sealed in place in a fashion that will not harm the user. He also notes that the mouthpieces function just as well as other protective mouth guards.

Flashy and functional — now that’s a win-win.

Wright has received some ridiculous requests from athletes, including bejeweled team logos and Twitter handles imprinted into mouthpieces. Sometimes team representatives even come with players, to make sure their design stays within uniform guidelines.

Be sure to keep your eyes peeled during Sunday’s Super Bowl to try and spot who is wearing the icy mouthpiece. Although if the diamonds are as big as Dr. Wright claims, it should be pretty easy to spot.