Soon, we will not see anymore the players dressing like rappers (or the rappers dress like NBA players?).
With this (http://www.usatoday.com/sports/basketball/nba/2005-10-17-dress-code_x.htm) new rules we will have a new look of the sport.
What is wrong with wearing chains or pendants? Is the sport less serious because of that?
These rules would be good in some schools around here...

It was an excellent decision by the NBA. The players are employees of the league. The league has seen a decline in popularity, and one of the major complaints that "white" people have had is that the game has been taken over by thugs and criminals. Well since "white" people seem to be the fans that are most likely to buy a ticket, and to most likely buy the products that the television advertisers sell, the league has been forced to remarket itself to get the fans back.

A truly sad thing is if you go back to the Jordan era and even before that, the black players took a lot of pride and dressed far better than their white teammates. Jordan also looked spectactular in a suit. Somewhere along the way the black culture decided that the "prison" look was better.

Lastly, here in the United States we have freedom of expression. Of course nobody really understands what that means. It doesn't mean you can express yourself wherever and whenever you want to.

Charles Barkley was interviewed and said he absolutely supported a dress code. He said something along the lines that, if he were presented with two job applicants, one black wearing hip-hop attire and the other white in a suit, he'd hire the white guy. Interesting.

The more professional you look, the better chance you have at getting a job (or getting respect in general). If you look like a 'thug' or 'gangster', people won't respect you as much because you look sloppy and, quite frankly, stupid.

Who dreams of one day playing in the NBA, the white kid wearing his Catholic school uniform or the black kid wearing his new sneaks and NBA attire that has cost his parents a week's pay? I say let the guys speak to their roots. If the twenty or so white players in the league want to dress as corporate society deems fit, so be it, but let the lucky hoods whom have come-up represent their clique.

The NBA is a major sporting league and as such has a large influence over its viewers, specially children and teens. One of the easiest and most things to copy is your hero's attire. Unfortunately, with most of the stars dressing like alleycorner pushers, similar to rap artists and the like, it seems to have become the new style for kids around.
It is true that dress makes the man and it must make the parents uneasy to see their kids like that. It is obvious that things have gone far enough that the commisioner decided to step it.
Even if I think that the reported rules are a bit over the top, I still must say that some form of make over and improvement are needed, starting from dressing.

Yes, because all the little black kids will start wearing pressed Dockers once Shaq does... :bs:

I agree with the new dress code, for the reasons given by David Stern.


(shouldnt this be in The Colusseum?

What a load of crap. who cares what they wear Off the court ? Let them wear whatever they feel like, it's what happens ON the court that matters, anything offcourt is noone's business. Will they start shooting better jumpshots if they wear a suit ? I don't think so, this is a completely useless discussion.

Late NT, MAYBE a small number of young blacks will do that, others will just think he "Sold out" and went :nuts:

@LNT

Atleast they might give those Dockers a second look. You know as well as I that most of us would like to wear T-shirt and jeans or shorts whenever and as long as we could.
Anyone who wants to wear a buttoned-down cotton shirt and pleated trousers while lounging about is just plain weird :nuts:
Seeing these stars in something more formal than shorts should make such clothing more acceptble to the youth.

Again I must say that the guidelines do seem to have gone a bit too far. If this were in India then it would be perfectly acceptable as an initial announcemet since it would be watered down by negotiation. I dont know how it would work with Stern and the NBA.

The regulations are only for team events. If a player is hurt and sitting on the bench he must look professional. When the team is travelling they must look professional.

Nobody is telling them what to wear in their living rooms or when they go to the mall.

Nobody is telling them what to wear in their living rooms or when they go to the mall. mhm. And when you're paying people, what, $500k/year minimum, well, it's perfectly reasonable to apply standards such as dress codes to them. Hell, McDonald's has a dress code for its employees, and they're making minimum wage.

I don't have a problem with the dress code. You're supposed to be a professional, so act like it. The thing I find despicable is that some players are saying they should be given a clothes stipend to pay for their new wardrobes - this from people making millions of dollars a year. Heck, the minimum salary is $300,000 per year - you should be able to afford a few suits.

It's almost as bad as Latrell Sprewell last year wanting a bigger contract than the $10 million he was making last year. He cited "I have a family to feed" as his reason.

don't have a problem with the dress code. You're supposed to be a professional, so act like it. The thing I find despicable is that some players are saying they should be given a clothes stipend to pay for their new wardrobes - this from people making millions of dollars a year. Heck, the minimum salary is $300,000 per year - you should be able to afford a few suits.

It's almost as bad as Latrell Sprewell last year wanting a bigger contract than the $10 million he was making last year. He cited "I have a family to feed" as his reason Exactly. THe players should pay for their own suits. They make more money than the people making the rules, anyways. There are enough greedy people in the world, we don't need 'role-models' to be greedy too.