These guys agreed to the dress code under the CBA. I don't know why this is such a big issue. It's a non-story that was picked up in a very boring offseason. Presumably, because there was nothing else to write about. It's agreed to. It's done.
When you're getting off of a plane, you're not the face of your company - NBA players are. Whether they like it or not, they are essentially "employed" 24/7, as they are in a position of representing their team and organization. In all such cases, employers can and often do restrict behavior in any number of ways. This is the same rationale that is used to fine or suspend players for off-the-court incidents that have nothing to do with the game, and the same reason the Minnesota Vikings can take action against the players involved in the "sex party" even if its determined that nothing illegal occurred.
Yeah, apparently the dress code was a non-issue to Billy Hunter(or he was in agreement with Stern, whatever) so it went in the CBA. Players didn't hear about it until the dress code was released(or didn't know what it would entail anyway). Reporters goad for quotes. Reporters write most interesting quotes with slanted takes. Certain particulars of the general masses go wild. Despite what the reporters and certain players want, it really isn't that much of a story. If it was, we'd hear about the cruelty of dress-codes in other sport venues, like football, or in the amateurs. Hell, some nba teams already had a dress code last year, and you didn't hear anyone making a stink about that.
Yes it was, but none of the guide lines were thought of before, they had no idea it was going to be as big of a change as it became.
interesting. i haven't read the policy. but if there's a vague statement in there about a dress code...and you have counsel representing you...and you don't get it more clearly defined...that's on you and your counsel. i don't have much sympathy for that.
"Stern also addressed Pacers guard Stephen Jackson's comments about the league's new dress code that bans chains being a racial statement. "Have you been around South Beach? Most of the people I see with chains are elderly Jewish gentlemen," Stern said. "I don't know what he's talking about. There's no rule we have that doesn't affect several hundred young African-American men. You can't play the race card here without having it flipped back at you.""
