Yeah, but the fight was the worse thing ever in the NBA. And I'm not saying its just the brawl, but that was the straw that broke the camel's back.
This is pathetic, these people play basketbal, that is their job, so i understand they want them to wear certain clothes on the court, but why in the world should stern be able to tell them what they should wear when they are not playing basketbal? So if a player wants to go to bed, so they have to ask permission to stern to wear Pyjama's??
Are they on the job when they are on the road? I guess they are saying that they are. I really don't have a problem with this. Asking players to dress a certian way when they are on the road or a NBA functions is not asking too much imo.
NBA functions, yes, even though things like throwback jerseys are helping promote the league and players. On the road...I just don't understand it. Who's going to see them in throwback jerseys or jeans that will be offended? I can just imagine someone saying this: "You know, I was going to watch the Timberwolves-Bulls game tonight, but I saw Tyson Chandler in the lobby of our hotel. I cannot support a league that allows someone to wear jeans in the lobby of their hotel." See how ridiculous it sounds?
But if they are on their way to the game it's kind of different. Sometimes news crews are filming them there etc. A lot dress "good" anyway. I could understand the outrage if the job didn't pay well and didn't have all the perks. I just don't think it's too much to ask. They get a lot in return.
Oh, absolutely. But that's also the style of many of their fans. Many NBA fans wear throwback jerseys and wear jeans. I can see that I guess. To me, however, the players are the bread and butter of the league. Let them wear jeans on the plane if they want. Let them wear a throwback jersey during the All-Star weekend. I just cannot see the harm.
I think when they are turning up to a game or leaving a game, they should be well dressed. They should also be well dressed of official team functions. But when they are flying across the country at all hours off the day and night, you can expect them to be dressed up the whole time. You also dont want a situation where players are forced to turn up to basketball camps wearing suits!
the thing i do not understand, the fact that players wear throwback jerseys makes the fans also want to buy them. So if stern does not allow them his jersey sale will decrease IMHO
Basketball players are important factors in fashion, and there business interests involved -- including the players' business interests -- in what they wear. How many players own a piece of clothing design companies? What better way to market the product than, as celebrities, to wear those clothes in public? There's no particular reason why the players should have the opportunity to quietly market their wares on NBA time, but I can see some significant issues arising from this clash as a result all the same. Rudy T could wear his ties on television; why can't Cassell wear his We R One gear?
I like the idea of them having to dress nice all the time, like a suit is SOOO BAD to take on and off.. YOU'RE A PRO ACT AND DRESS LIKE IT!! I like what Sten is trying to do here, raise the age limit of players going into the NBA and help the players look their best so the NBA doesn’t have a negative image. What’s wrong with that?? The players have to put on a suit just to ride a plane ( OH NO!) or they need to have on a jacket and tie when they are giving a few lines to the press (IT’S SOOO MUCH WORK.. AHHHH what will A.I. do) I like the idea of these guys not getting to wear whatever they want, most don’t dress like they can be taken seriously anyway. I also think durring a press conference (I.E. after a playoff game) they should not be able to have their kids/family up there with them.. Seems like the media doesnt ask them the hard questions when the NBA players have their kids with them..
How many people do you know that choose not to watch the NBA because of what the players wear when they're not playing? If they do, I'm sorry, but that's just idiotic.
None.. but it does look better and I think it COULD keep some casual fans from getting addicted to the sport like we are.. I don’t think Stern is doing this just because he can, I think he knows this could translate into the bottom line and to do that he needs to make the league look better and the players more marketable. I understand, but seems like when a team is eliminated from the playoffs and they have their kids beside them/on the table the media just doesn’t seem ask the hard questions that could make the player upset or get a rise out of them.. It is still just a game, but it is a job and part of that job is being available to the media and not using your kids as a shield.
When I heard about this, I shook my head. David Stern reminds me of a guy who recently left my company. This guy, like Stern, was old school. He believed that all male employees wore a white dress shirt with a tie along with dress pants and shoes. Casual friday? Sure, as that was the only day that the male employees could go without wearing a tie but you still couldn't wear jeans. Now what made this dress code so ridiculous to many people at my company (it is a scientific and engineering one) is we don't go out in the field very often to meet with our customers and clients. When we do, then yea, people wear ties and suits and crap like that. But around the office?? Who are you trying to impress? The guy in the cube next to you? Needless to say the dress code was never re-inforced and it died a slow death. Now, of course, I am saying all of this as an avowed tie hater (I probably only wear a tie these days when I have to go to a funeral or the Christmas concert I always sing in). But times have changed - many men these days are not wearing ties, even to places like church. The ones that are wearing ties are guys who are in their 50s and older, at least that is what it appears like to me. Getting back to the thread, it is like others have said - who really sees the players when they check into their hotels at 2 in the morning, other than, obviously, the hotel employees? Does Yao Ming really have to try to impress Stro Swift with his latest suit as they are checking into a NY hotel at 2 in the morning? I am sorry but this just seems so idiotic and moronic to me. I understand that Stern wants to project a more professional image to the public but making players wear things that make them uncomfortable in settings where the majority of the people that see them are their own teammates and coaches is not going to get it done, IMO.
I see it not so much as the players looking good for each other on the bus or the plane, this is 2005 we have the media and cameras EVERY WHERE as a player stepping off the plane/bus/car is when the media will see you.. How many times have we seen players get off the bus and walk into the locker room before the game on ABC or the TNT pre game show and look like scrubs? Technically the players were dressed the whole time "only for each other" but the second he steps off the bus or gets out of his car and walks to the locker room for the game a camera is in his face. I’m sure we all can think of many players we’ve seen get out of a car or buses walking to the locker room and look less than presentable. My point is the way players dress anytime a camera is on him COULD make an impact to some people who aren’t diehard fans like we are.. How many times have we seen players address the media at a press table after a playoff game without a shirt on and we all get to see what kind of tattoos they have? All these little things help shape the general idea of what the NBA player is today. I just cant understand what is so bad about being told to dress professional 100% of the time you are working.. An NBA game is not the only time a player is "on the job" and therefore they should dress accordingly for all the other press, taped interviews, team meetings, charity events, TEAM plane rides/buss rides/stepping out of cars coming and going to games ex.. all these events could possibly make an impression when the media and fans see it.. Coming to the game and leaving the game dressed up IMO are not beyond ridiculous to ask of a player.
Answer this: You will be mad and turn off the TV, just because in the postgame conference a player is not wearing a suit and a tie? Imagine this: your favorite team are the champions and in the postgame conference your favorite player are wearing the cap and the t-shirt thats says they are the champions, do you turn off the TV, just because the player is not wearing a suit and a tie?
If I were a player, I'd buy some hideous suit that looked completely trashy. Maybe something like Hot Pink or a 70's tuxedo. Stick it to Stern Seriously, I understand why he's doing this. He wants to improve the image of the league, make things more professional. Stinks for the players, but in Stern's mind it will improve the standing of the league.
The subliminal unsaid statement from Stern is that he doesn't want the league going too "ghetto" looking. I don't think this would be ever brought up in MLB or hockey, but I do see it might happen in the NFL. Corporate obedience over free thinking individuality...and it's on the predominantly type of employees that the upper management suits always frowned upon as far as their image.
