ESPN.com news services The idea of an off-the-court dress code isn't sitting well with some NBA players. Though it hasn't been finalized yet, players have been warned a dress code likely will be instituted this season for team functions. Players will have to wear business casual clothes -- such as a sport coat and slacks -- for all team affairs. Commissioner David Stern told The Boston Globe that the dress code would exclude jeans. Team functions would include team flights, traveling to and from games and at public appearances. The Atlanta-Journal Constitution reported the dress code would be backed up by NBA fines. "The dress code is, to me, a continuation of things," Stern told The Globe. "It's a small thing that contributes to a sense of professionalism. It's what the job entails. We've always moved to the fashion of our players. Years ago, the fashion was a jacket and tie. Now, it's a much more casual approach. But our referees are always attired a certain way based upon their job description when they come into the building. Our coaches are attired a certain way when they come on the court. We decided that it was time [for the players]." The Hawks' Josh Childress is one of the players who thinks the NBA is "taking this thing too far." "I understand where they're coming from. We all need to be neat and professional. But to ask us to wear suits everywhere, even at a hotel at 2 a.m. I think that's a bit much," Childress told the Journal-Constitution. Allen Iverson told The Philadelphia Daily News he will fight any new dress code. "I dress to make myself comfortable," Iverson told the Philadelphia Daily News. "I really do have a problem with it. ... It's just not right. It's something I'll fight for." Childress told the Journal-Constitution that a dress code is something that should be phased in gradually. "Listen, if they wanted to do this thing gradually I could understand that," Childress told the newspaper. "Say you want us to wear slacks and a shirt this year, and then next year add jackets and whatever. But to do it all at once is just more than I think is necessary, to just jump up and say wear suits or you get fined is nuts." Players union president Antonio Davis told USA Today the union wouldn't be opposed to a dress code, but even he was only willing to go so far. "I don't think it's fair for them to tell you exactly how to dress," Davis told the newspaper. "You can't say no jeans. I've seen businessmen in jeans, a sports coat and nice shirt, and you say that's classy." http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2181671
Glad to see AI is willing to stand up and fight for what's important. This is pretty ridiculous on the players' part. Most people that work in offices have to conform to a dress code, why shouldn't employees of the NBA? God forbid Mo Taylor squeeze his fat ass into a pair of slacks rather than a pair of Sean John's. The fan's are shelling out money to come watch the game, the least the players could do is try to look professional. And when I say professional, I mean to do whatever damage control possible after the Pistions-Pacers debacle.
It's just moronic. Do I think it's pretty lame for a 30-year old to be truckin' around in baseball hat and football jersey? Yeah. But this is expensive stuff, those are designer jeans, and these players are well within their rights. At the very least, make them wear a sportcoat on the bench, like the coaches have to. I wear sportcoat, shirt, and jeans everywhere I go. All through summer, to the drug store, to the book store, to the pubs, everywhere. I'm usually dressed "better" than everyone else there -- but because I'm wearing jeans, I'd be fine-o-ble by the NBA's standards. And, as another writer pointed out, is the NBA going to send their employees to every airport hanger and hotel in the league at 2am to see if the players are following the code?
No they don't, they present themselves in front of thousands of fans and tens of thousands of television viewers every game. Stock brokers have to "suck it up" and put on the coat and tie, what's wrong with the NBA to ask players to look professional? They're getting paid incredible amounts of cash to sit there and watch a game. If I could get those seats I'd wear a straight-jacket if someone asked me. The attitude these players are displaying is one of the big reasons that the NBA has an image problem at the moment.
You have a dress code at the office, but not on the street. This dress code excludes jeans even from team flights. That's ridiculous. When you're on the plane for a buisness trip, you should be able to wear jeans with your coat. And the players already have their dress code for games and practices.
would you go to a stock broker who wore "throw back jerseys"? Would you put your money in a bank where the bankers where white tee-shirts and gold chains? there's a reason those jobs have dress codes like wearing suits. it isn't just presenting the company, its just a look that goes with the profession, that validates your profession. who gives a crap if a hooper isn't wearing a suit?
Ready to wear: Willis styling for 21 NBA seasons By David DuPree, USA TODAY During his 21-year NBA career, Kevin Willis has been known to critique his teammates' sense of fashion. The 7-0 center, selected in the 1984 draft, has played for seven teams while becoming somewhat of a self-proclaimed NBA clothes connoisseur. The 42-year-old started making his own clothes because he found it nearly impossible to find any that were fashionable and fit his 245-pound frame. That led him to open a clothing store. (Related items: All-Time Fashion Five, All-Fashion Team, In need of a makeover and The Big Fashion Plate.) "My first year in school (at Jackson, Mich., Community College), I decided to major in communications and broadcasting because I thought when I was through playing I could go into television," says Willis, currently on the Atlanta Hawks' injured list. "I changed my major because it seemed (going into television) was what every athlete was planning on doing. "I also could never, ever, even in high school, go to a store and buy something I liked that would fit. Everything was too short. As I grew, I began to understand that I liked fashion. So when I got to Michigan State, I changed my major to fashion and textiles." In 1988, during his fourth season in the NBA, Willis and former Spartans teammate Ralph Walker started their company, Willis & Walker, in Atlanta. They cater mainly to NBA players, designing everything from shirts to jackets to suits. He and Walker first designed and made jackets for themselves, which prompted people to ask where they got them. Once their peers started clamoring for the clothes, Willis knew they were on to something. "We started making them for Charles Oakley, Karl Malone, Shaquille O'Neal and all the guys," Willis says. "We found a niche. Before we knew it, guys would come by the shop, get measured up and we would make leather jackets, leather pants and suede shirts. Then we got into slacks and suits." Oakley still buys some of Willis' products. "Kevin just knew what you wanted and he took care of you," he says. Willis says the new thing in fashion is denim, which is the focus of the company. He and Walker just opened a showroom in Atlanta. "We try to give the bigger man the same jean and fit and look as the guy that is 6-0 or 5-11," Willis says. He is holding three pairs of jeans for O'Neal to pick up. "He does some nice stuff," O'Neal, a noted clotheshorse, says. "Clothes can make the man, but the man also makes the clothes." Willis assumes the role of fashion police for USA TODAY: All-Time Fashion Five Michael Jordan: "Mike got away with pretty much anything," Willis says. "His style, charisma, everything kept him on top, whether it was a suit or whatever. He could wear shoulder pads, leather jackets, you name it. He could wear sweats and rock it." Charles Oakley: "He dressed like a Temptation or a Four Top. He wasn't afraid of color or anything. He could wear any style of leather or suit and pull it off, shoes on up." Dominique Wilkins: "He always enjoyed dressing. You could never get 'Nique in jeans. Maybe it was because he had a flat behind. He wore beautiful suits way back in the '80s, and he was coordinated real well." Hakeem Olajuwon: "He dressed very simply but was very elegant. He loved high-quality fabrics, mink and cashmere, things like that. He loved linen, real lightweight, handkerchief linen in the summer." Kendall Gill: "He was 6-5 and could wear anything, any color — lime, white, fuchsia — he could pull it off. He had the posture and everything for a good suit." All-Fashion Team Kevin's takes Shopping guide Friedman's Shoes in Atlanta - ''Guys come to town and buy 10-12 pairs at a time,'' Willis says. Barney's in New York -''When you're talking about style and high-end sportswear, Barney's is at the top.'' Neiman-Marcus - ''That's the place for ties.'' Specialty boutiques - ''For things like cuff links and socks. Just walk in if you see something you like.'' Walt "Clyde" Frazier ''He set the standard for the NBA,'' Willis says. ''He was the first guy to come out and say, 'Hey guys, look at this. I remember watching him going to an Ali fight. He had on a huge fur coat, brim, the wide-bottom pants. He was just decked out, the shoes and everything. He hasn't changed too much to this day how he dresses. He cleaned it up a little bit because he doesn't want to look like a clown, but he has a style.'' Fashion tip ''Nix the shades,'' Willis says. ''I never thought sunglasses could do anything except keep the sun out of your eyes. If you wear them to be cool, find another way.'' Allan Houston, New York Knicks: "His look is very simple," Willis says. "He'll wear a very nice sport coat, and the colors match very nicely, a nice pair of slacks or jeans and suede shoes." Antoine Walker, Boston Celtics: "He wears very nice suits and accessorizes very nicely. He really puts it together." Antonio Davis, Chicago Bulls: "He has the frame for suits and has very good taste. He is more on the conservative side, and everything is perfect when he puts it on." Peja Stojakovic, Sacramento Kings: "European flavor, man. I see him in suits, and he wears them well. I like his style." Alonzo Mourning, Miami Heat: "'Zo knows style and always has a certain air about him. He dresses to let people know he is in the building, not really flashy. He really knows how to put things together and can wear colors, as well." Sixth Man Doug Christie, Orlando Magic: "He'll put together a really sharp sports coat-jeans thing, a real nice skullcap or some kind of hat with a nice shirt. It is more of a sporty look, but it is clean and elegant." In need of a makeover Charles Barkley, TNT: "He refuses to wear ties, and I keep telling him not to wear rubber-soled shoes with a nice suit," Willis says. "He doesn't listen." Tyson Chandler, Chicago Bulls: "I saw him walk in a locker room with a pair of $300 jeans on. They were too short for him, and he had them way down on his hips so they would look like they were long enough and he had his shirt out over them. He sure needs some help." Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs: "I love you, man, but you cannot dress. He is jeans, boots, oversized shirt, very comfortable and laid-back. He said the guys convinced him to wear a suit to the game once, and he said he had the worst game of his career and now says he will never go to a game in a suit again." Steve Francis, Orlando Magic: "The balance is off. He doesn't know how to put it together right. His sports coats aren't right, and the drape of his pants isn't right. The coordination of the whole thing is just off." Nick Van Exel, Portland Trail Blazers: "Nick will put together a brown and cream plaid sport coat and turn around and put on a brown and beige plaid shirt under it and then put on solid beige pants and brown crocs (shoes). I've seen him do it. Or he'll have a sports coat with the vest connected to it, sewn together. I just say, 'Oh my god, Nick, no, no no, no, no.' " The Big Fashion Plate "To be as big as he is, Shaquille O'Neal really dresses well," Willis says. "Because of his size, he has to be careful of what fabrics he uses and what he puts on his feet. He isn't afraid of colors or afraid to wear things."He's kind of a role model for bigger guys. If Shaquille O'Neal can do it, anybody should be able to do it. They shouldn't be uncomfortable, because he is one of the biggest men on the planet and he does it."
And Stern is trying to elevate the sense of what it means to be a professional in the NBA. The Pistons-Pacers brawl was a culmination of a problem the league has, it's players are not conscious of the image they convey to fans. Come on. You're telling me that Reggie Miller or Dikembe Mutombo look the same as Allen Iverson when they're in postgame interviews? Right now, the NBA suffers from an image problem. A lot people think that the players are uneducated, thuggish, and generally loutish. I'm not saying I agree or care, but a lot of people do. If the NBA wants to rectify this, one of the best ways to do this is to start demanding a professional image. Obviously David Stern does, and as their employer it's within his right to demand they exhibit some professionalism. This is part of a larger effort to improve public opinion and if it helps the players shouldn't b**** about it.
All of this is a matter of opinion. I for one don't believe the image problem with the NBA is as bad as it is made out to be. For every fan who maybe impressed by an NBA player wearing a suit, there's probably a fan who doesn't wear a suit everyday and probably doesn't give a crap. There's probably another fan who thinks an NBA player wearing a suit is a joke. The only thing that's gonna improve NBA ratings is better play on the court. That's it. If people get upset because a player isn't wearing a suit at a press conference then maybe they should look at themselves in the mirror.
I agree with you. I don't think a dress code would do too much either way. What I take more of an issue with is how "put out" the players are by it. I mean, this league pays these guys millions of dollars and they act like being asked to wear a jacket is some ridiculous claim. When these guys are out of the league, they're gonna be glad they spent money on a suit rather than another giant airbrushed TuPac shirt when it comes time to find a job.
Makes sense. Good posts all-around. I still would like to see a sport-coat policy for the bench. You think half these assistant coaches want to wear sport coats? (btw, this is the third different way I've written "sportcoat" in this thread. I'm useless without my stylebook) Half the assistant coaches out there would feel just fine in track suits and tennis shoes, but they put up with it. Having to wear a suit for the 45-minute flight from Atlanta to Charlotte (at 1am) is just silly, though.
Why don't these players just wear their warmups and jerseys. Would the NBA really fine them just because they are on the inactive list or something. Getting fined for wearing your uniform. That would be something.
Some players look good in suits, others don't. I think it would be laughable to see AI or some other guys in a suit. BTW, MoT would look good in a suit, those stocky guys always do
Can you imagine the havoc it would cause if reserve players were in game uniforms. Imagine this scenario. Moochie pops off the bench late in the 4th quarter of game seven in the Western Conference Semifinals against the Spurs. No one at the scorer's table realizes he isn't active for the game. A resurgent Moochie leads the Rockets on a 16-7 run in the last 3 minutes to beat the Spurs 99-96. Tim Duncan, after years of seeing the refs screw him against the Lakers, flies into a beastial rage and charges into the stands to exact revenge. A valiant Jeff Van Gundy attempts to grasp on to Timmy D's ankle and is summarily punted into the Red and White Wine Bistro. An irrate Greg Popovich threatens to call in an air strike from some old Air Force buddies if something isn't done. And Tony Parker, being French, retreats to the locker room. Stern, in a Vince McMahon style double back-stab, declare that the game is void and that neither team will advance to the Western Conference Finals. He then uses executive power to place Lebron James on the LA Lakers and put them in the Western Conference Finals. THAT'S why we make sure the reserves don't wear jerseys.
