The Dress-Code in the NBA

[Agent Proto]

I'm sure most of us don't like the NBA, but commissioner David Stern has made it a requirement that the players must dress in a "business casual" attire to give the NBA a more "professional" look. This will ban players from wearing things like sleeveless shirts, shorts, sunglasses while indoors, and headphones during team or league business.

Anyway, do you think this is good for the NBA, or something pretty dumb that's not allowing players to "express" themselves by the clothes they wear? Because of this, we won't be seeing Kobe wearing retro jerseys, or AI flashing his tattoos wearing his sleeveless shirts, etc during interviews and such.

[Shoeberto]

I saw this on TV this morning. I think it's alright if it's when they're walking around before the game, but they said that players will also have to be dressed up while on the bench, which is just ridiculous.

[Tifa's Real Lover(really]

WTF

[Spammerman]

People should be able to wear what they want.

[Flying Mullet]

I don't understand why the NBA needs a more professional look. And if it does, it's going to have to come from the player's conduct off the court.

[Del Murder]

I think the coaches should be in full uniform like in baseball.

[Raistlin]

I think that the phrase "express yourself" when used in the context of clothing is retarded. However, I don't like this dress-code. When on the bench, each individual team can make their own rules as to how their players dress. The only time it's official NBA business is on the court.

[fire_of_avalon]

Oh no, did you also hear that there are apparently players who claim this is racially motivated to keep black players from wearing tacky stuff. Tacky is my word, not theirs.

And yeah, this is an unsubstantiated rumor that I heard on the radio this morning.

I don't see the problem with making them dress nice before games. People had to do it in highschool. I don't understand how they're gonna be sharp dressed men on the bench, though. Shouldn't they be in uniform then?

Anyway, I don't really care about any of this, cause I don't like basketball. Woo!

[Big D]

This will ban players from wearing things like sleeveless shirts, shorts, sunglasses while indoors, and headphones during team or league business.

Doesn't sound too bad to me. No different from making them wear uniforms during games. It only applies while they're doing "team business", so it has no effect on their off-hours.

[Kirobaito]

I don't have a problem with it at all. David Stern is someone one could say is the "boss" of the NBA. It's a business. It's his prerogative to decide what the dress code in his league is - if you don't want to follow the rules of the business, get a new job. It's like anyone else at any other business. If you want to keep working there, follow the dress code. And it's not like it's a big deal - it's a polo shirt and khakis for post-game conferences. The dress code during the game is, from what I've seen, sort of a tradition that one wears suits when they're not playing already. Shouldn't be much of a change.

Good job on David Stern.

[Raistlin]

Doesn't sound too bad to me. No different from making them wear uniforms during games. It only applies while they're doing "team business", so it has no effect on their off-hours.

My argument is that team business should be just that: the team's business. If the team wants players who aren't dressing to dress or not dress a certain way, that's their decision. The league's business on how a player dresses begins and ends on the court.

[Kirobaito]

My argument is that team business should be just that: the team's business. If the team wants players who aren't dressing to dress or not dress a certain way, that's their decision.

One of the things that led Stern to do this was the poll that said that the NBA has the worst image in sports. Essentially, Stern believes (and so do I) that the image of players being "punks" or whatever you want to call it does not reflect on the team, but the league as a whole. Stern decided to take matters into his own hands, to supposedly improve the image of the entire league by not leaving it up to each team, but to make it a league-wide immediate mandate.

The league's business on how a player dresses begins and ends on the court.

I don't see the logic in that. What a player does during pre-game and post-game, or doing in the name of the NBA, is still the league's business. What they do when not in the arena is their own business, and this dress code certainly does not affect what they do on their own time. However, the NBA is taking on the mindset of "If you wanna be under MY roof, you're gonna follow MY rules," which makes sense to me.

[Raistlin]

One of the things that led Stern to do this was the poll that said that the NBA has the worst image in sports. Essentially, Stern believes (and so do I) that the image of players being "punks" or whatever you want to call it does not reflect on the team, but the league as a whole. Stern decided to take matters into his own hands, to supposedly improve the image of the entire league by not leaving it up to each team, but to make it a league-wide immediate mandate.

Yes, it has the worst image. Not because of clothes, but because of the Kobe Bryant trial, the Detroit fiasco, etc.

I don't see the logic in that. What a player does during pre-game and post-game, or doing in the name of the NBA, is still the league's business. What they do when not in the arena is their own business, and this dress code certainly does not affect what they do on their own time. However, the NBA is taking on the mindset of "If you wanna be under MY roof, you're gonna follow MY rules," which makes sense to me.

yes, what a player <i>does</i>, not how a player dresses.

This new dress-code will do nothing to improve the NBA's "image." If that's what they're really interested in, kick Ron Artest out already, for Christ sake.

[Del Murder]

I think it will improve the image in the eyes of people who aren't us. The nerd demographic is not what the NBA worries about. I can see a more conservative fan gaing respect for the league because a player wore a suit in the post game interview.

[nik0tine]

*does not read the posts in this thread*

Wait... Are they not allowed to dress how they want in their free time? If so, that's utterly ridiculous.