NBA policy gives players a needed makeover

By Anthony Galaviz

The Collegian

Time to put away those jerseys, jewelry and headgear. The NBA has a message for its players, suit up or face suspension.

Last month the NBA banned sleeveless shirts, jerseys, T-shirts, sneakers, shorts, headgear, sunglasses (while indoors), chains, pendants and headphones. The policy became effective Nov. 1 - the NBA’s opening night.

Is this new imposed dress code a good thing or a bad thing for the NBA? Maybe, maybe not.

League officials are so serious about the new rule they are threatening players with large fines and suspension if they don’t comply.

“You knew it was coming,” Boston Celtics guard Paul Pierce said in an earlier statement.

“I’ve got a couple of suits in the closet I’ve got to dust off,” Pierce said. “Hey, [the NBA] makes the rules; you’ve got to abide by them.’’

San Antonio Spurs forward Tim Duncan said players should not be forced to follow a rule that was not included when they signed their contracts.

“I understand what the NBA is trying to do by forbidding hats and ‘do rags’ and jerseys and stuff. That’s fine,” Duncan said. “But I don’t understand why they would take it to this level. I think it’s basically retarded.”

The NBA is not the first sports league to require its players to look nice. The NHL players are required to dress up both on and off the ice. And NBA players know that. The only sports league that doesn’t have a dress code is the NFL.

Philadelphia 76ers guard Allen Iverson, who usually wears retro jerseys, large necklaces and baseball caps worn sideways, is one of the biggest critics of the new dress code policy.

In a recent press conference Iverson said [the dress code] sends a bad message to kids.

“If you don’t have a suit when you go to school, is your teacher going to think you’re a bad kid?

“Problem is, kids don’t have to wear suits to school. Just a t-shirt and jeans,” Iverson said.

“I’m actually glad they’re doing it because some people come to these games looking wrong,” Charlotte Bobcats forward and former Fresno State standout Melvin Ely told the Charlotte Observer.

If you think about it, most professional jobs require you to dress up. You have to. How would your boss feel if you showed up for work wearing jeans, a jersey and a baseball cap? Most likely you’d be sent home to change your clothes.

Clearly the NBA is trying to improve its image and showcase its players as professional both on and off the court.

What happens to players after they leave the NBA? What’s next after basketball? For many office jobs may not sound that bad and the dress code will be different there too.

The NBA would like nothing more than to see its players abide by the rules.

“If they really want to make a problem, they’re going to have to make a decision about how they want to spend their adult life in terms of playing in the NBA or not,” said NBA commissioner David Stern.

Enough said.

“The NBA has turned into a fashion show. But I think it’s good,” Orlando Magic forward Grant Hill said .
Nothing wrong with that.

Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson said he welcomes the dress code.

“To a majority of these young men, rap stars and hip-hop guys are really kind of like heroes or colleagues,” Jackson told the Los Angeles Daily News.

“We even have some that are owners in the league. And it’s not the same audience. Our audience is corporate businessmen and businesswomen and kids.

“So it’s a different audience that you’re dealing with and these players should be aware of that,” he said.

Will dressing up be a problem for the NBA? It shouldn’t be.

With the money these players make, they shouldn’t have any problem buying a suit.

Just dress up. If athletes don’t like it, they can leave.

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