NBA Commissioner Stern Continues to Clean Up the NBA Image
 

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051018/...s_code_stern_2

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/s...C-DT9705204233

from ESPN.com article:

Updated: Oct. 18, 2005, 5:50 PM ET
Stern sure players will comply with dress code
By Darren Rovell
ESPN.com


NEW YORK -- NBA commissioner David Stern spoke out for the first time on the specifics of the league's new off-the-court dress code on Tuesday.

Despite objections from players like Allen Iverson, who said he will fight to wear clothes in which he is most comfortable, Stern said he was "certain that it will be complied with."

Although Stern wouldn't say exactly how he would enforce the new regulations, which, among other things, bans injured players seated on the bench from wearing jeans and outlaw chains, pendants or medallions over the player's clothes while on team or league business, he did say that the league "will use a broad range of authority" to enforce compliance.

"If they are really going to have a problem, they will have to make a decision about how they want to spend their adult life in terms of playing in the NBA or not," Stern said.

Stern said he believed that much of the recent criticism over the league-imposed rules had to do with the fact that the players didn't know the specifics, which were released in a memo to the teams on Monday.

Calling the rules "quite liberal and easy going," Stern even joked that the dress code is something that "even (Dallas Mavericks owner) Mark Cuban can comply with." But Cuban, who often wears T-shirts and jeans to games -- told ESPN.com that there was "no chance, no way" that he would comply with the league's off-the-court dress code for its players. Sleeveless shirts are not allowed under the policy.

Iverson, whose do-rag will now be banned, recently told the Philadelphia Daily News that "just because you put a guy in a tuxedo, it doesn't mean he's a good guy."

Stern said the clothing that is suggested is universally thought of as appropriate for someone while they are in the spotlight.

"There are different uniforms for different occasions," Stern said. "There's the uniform you wear on the court, there's the uniform you wear when you are on business, there's the uniform you might wear on your casual downtime with your friends and there's the uniform you might wear when you go back home. We're just changing the definition of the uniform that you wear when you are on NBA business."

Stern kidded that certain players might receive a special stipend to buy new clothes.

"We don't know where the cut-off is, maybe if you earn less than $8 million, you'll get a scholarship from the commissioner," Stern said.

The joke was in reference to the comment made last week by Denver Nuggets center Marcus Camby, who reportedly told The Rocky Mountain News that he didn't see players complying with the new rules unless every player received a clothing allowance. Camby is scheduled to make more than $7 million in salary this season.

Stern was less than direct as to how the league would monitor whether the players were violating the business casual attire rules, cracking a smile when telling reporters that the NBA will employ a state-of-the-art piece of nanotechnology -- a special type of dust on the player that indicates when he is not appropriate attired.

It's not clear if other sports leagues will follow the NBA's lead.

Rob Manfred, the executive vice president of labor relations and human resources for Major League Baseball, said that there is currently no need to impose a dress code policy, aside from the current rule in which players have to wear appropriate baseball garb for postgame press conferences that are free of corporate logos.

"Because of the nature of our travel and the makeup of our employees, it has never been an issue that we had to centrally regulate," Manfred said. "The clubs have been close enough as to what they require of the players."

Stern spent Tuesday giving a keynote speech at the SportsBusiness Journal's Sports and Social Responsibility Forum. During the talk, Stern unveiled a new program called NBA Cares, a name given to all of the league's charitable efforts. Stern said that over the next five years, the NBA will guarantee that the league and its players will donate at least $100 million to charity, give one million hours to community service and build 100 facilities where children can learn and play. He said the commitment was significantly greater than what the league and its players have done over the last half decade.


Darren Rovell, who covers sports business for ESPN.com, can be reached at darren.rovell@espn3.com.





NBA Dress Code
In a memo issued Monday, the NBA set forth a "minimum" dress code starting with the 2005-2006 season. The following highlights are excerpted from the memo:
1. General Policy: Business Casual
Players are required to wear Business Casual attire whenever they are engaged in team or league business. "Business Casual" attire means:
• A long or short-sleeved dress shirt (collared or turtleneck), and/or a sweater.
• Dress slacks, khaki pants, or dress jeans.
• Appropriate shoes and socks, including dress shoes, dress boots, or other presentable shoes, but not including sneakers, sandals, flip-flops, or work boots.


2. Exceptions to Business Casual
There are the following exceptions to the general policy of Business Casual attire:
a. Players In Attendance At Games But Not In Uniform
Players who are in attendance at games but not in uniform are required to wear the following additional items when seated on the bench or in the stands during the game:
• Sport Coat.
• Dress shoes or boots, and socks.


3. Excluded Items
The following is a list of items that players are not allowed to wear while on team or league business:
• Sleeveless shirts.
• Shorts.
• T-shirts, jerseys, or sports apparel (unless appropriate for the event (e.g., a basketball clinic), team-identified, and approved by the team).
• Headgear of any kind while a player is sitting on the bench or in the stands at a game, during media interviews, or during a team or league event or appearance (unless appropriate for the event or appearance, team-identified, and approved by the team).
• Chains, pendants, or medallions worn over the player's clothes.
• Sunglasses while indoors.
• Headphones (other than on the team bus or plane, or in the team locker room).




What are your thoughts?

Back To the Basics
 

I have no problem with it. Hopefully, coaches on the collegiate level will follow accordingly. I was kind of surprised the player's union didn't object.

I commend Stern for requiring his players, coaches, and owners to dress the part.

Maybe some of the players can now create a line of men's dress attire. **light bulb**

However, if those emm effas cannot afford to buy a Men's Wearhouse suit on their salary, :rolleyes: and actually do get a clothing allowance,:mad: Stern might get a stern letter from me. :p

But I applaud it. It's time for a change and to eliminate some of the thuggish looking appearance that some of the players espouse.

I think that since it is couched in terms of business attire, I guess it is okay.

A lot of these kids are young. Think about how we were dressing when we we 19-22. Part of the way that they dress is a reflection of their youth.

I agree with Iverson--just because somebody is in a suit, it doesn't make them a better person than who they already are; it just makes them a person in a suit. I am of the opinion that people should be able to wear what they want, and that clothing should not dictate how you are perceived. But that is idealist, I realize.

Good job.

For real....a clothing allowance....:rolleyes: The nerve of them to ask for that

I just read that some player...I think Steven Jackson from the Pacers...said the policy was racist because of the rule that says no jewelry wore outside of your clothing and young black guys like to wear their chains/necklaces out side of their clothing.

ETA: Here is a bit from an article on msn.com
__________________
But the new policy is taking some heat already, with Indiana Pacers guard Stephen Jackson telling ESPN that the league ban on chains worn over clothing is "a racist statement" from the league.

Jackson said he had no problem with requiring players to dress better. But he drew the line at players being told their chains and necklaces can't be visible over their clothes.

"I just think that's attacking young, black males," said Jackson, who wore four chains to the Pacers exhibition game against San Antonio on Tuesday night. "The part about wearing suits, I think we should dress up. A lot of guys have gotten sloppy with the way they dress and I have no problem with that. But the chains, that's going a little too far."

Jackson told ESPN that the policy on jewelry was "a racist statement because a lot of the guys who are wearing chains are my age and are black. I wore all my jewelry today to let it be known that I'm upset with it.

"I'll wear a suit every day. I think we do need to look more professional because it is a business. A lot of guys have gotten sloppy with the way they dress. But it's one thing to [enforce a] dress code and it's another thing if you're attacking cultures, and that's what I think they're doing."

__________________

Racism? Yeah right.

Is it really "cultural" to wear the chain on the outside of clothes? Or is it just something that the Niggerati or Colored Coalition do? Just tuck the dayum chain on the inside of your clothes.

Also in regards to the comment about them being young and not knowing how to dress. . . I have mixed feelings about this. I think this is a poor mentality to espouse. The more we get, the less we do. Back in my grandmother's era, folks dressed appropriately with a very minimal amount of money. Folks had 2 outfits -- dress and play. I have older cousins who tell me they had ONE pair of underwear. ONE. But now we got a little bit of money and more choices and folks want to dress any type of way. Got kids coming to church in jeans. WTH?!?!!? Come to church looking any kind of way. I bet you if Big Mama was still around, the real BIG MAMAS, kids would wear shirts and ties to church.

But I digress. Put on some nice business casual attire and go to work, NBA stars. You might not really be a saint or a better person in a suit in tie versus a doo rag and sagging off da arse jeans, but you can at least look the part.

The NBA is going after more corporate and global markets. Historically they've always marketed players (Magic, Bird, Jordan, KG, Shaq, AI) rather than teams, so this move follows "suit" if you will. I really think they'd like to "de-negroize" the league, do away with the cornrows/tatoos, but they know they can't get away with that, so the "image, dress code" look is the next best thing.

Look at most NBA arenas. The lower bowl seats are generally filled with corporate types. You may see the lovely Steeltrap hugged up courtside with Jack Nicholson out in LA, but by and large, the NBA is not targeting the AfAm audience, particularly the 18-30 audience who wear this type of newly-banned gear most predominately. Nike, Reebok, and1, et al are, but not the association. The NBA is like "hey, if you don't like the move, you don't have to work in the NBA."

not saying I agree totally, necessarily, but thats the play, IMO.

Hey, HK74, how is asking for a clothing allowance any different from the corporate CEO who asks for a receives a housing allowance as part of his compensation package?

TonyB, let's be for real here. If come bargaining time, an individual player wants to negotiate a clothing allowance as part of his deal, go for it! Negotating is a critical part of getting what you want in your comp package. We all should be doing that, regardless if you're a CEO, NBA player, or accountant.

But don't say that going shopping for these clothes will now cause them unexpected financial hardship (which is what one player is basically saying).

Are you trying to tell me that these players currently do not own suits, dress slacks, etc.? And let's say for the sake of argument they don't (lol) the price doesn't change that much across the men's department ($150 pair of khakis vs. $150 of sneakers).

And now, these new dress codes are racist. :(

I'm just speechless for the moment.

I didn't say that they didn't know how to dress, I said that they are dressing like young people dress these days. They know how to dress--like young folks.

And so young folks don't know how to put on a suit and tie or dress pants and button down shirt when going to work or work related functions?

No, I'm not making any of the assertions you mentioned above.

But see through the alleged "absurdity" of Jackson's statement for a moment, and you see an apples-to-apples comparison, that raises a question or two. No, a $7 million a year player does not need a clothing allowance, IMO, but neither does a 7-figure-a-year CEO need a free house to live in (yet, this happens everyday and nobody says boo about it).

Maybe Jackson was showing the absurdity of the rule change with his statement -- which is the point I was alluding to. I haven't read yet where this was collectively bargained, so just how "enforceable" it is at this point is unclear to me.

That's why I said, since they couch it in business terms, I guess that it is okay.

I would agree with Tony B, I think that it is an attempt to "corporatize" (yeah, I made that up) the league, in terms of appearance.

However, I don't think that there is anything culturally specific about baggy pants or gold chains. That is just ridiculous--and speaks to a whole nother proble m about what confused for culture these days.

Exactly @ last paragraph.

I definitely think that last year's brouhaha was an impetus for this dress code among other things.

I know in junior high and high school, our basketball players, men and women, had to dress nicely -- no jeans or tennis shoes at all. I don't think football had to do it or spring sports either. I can't remember. I just know during the winter of 1990, it was lovely to see AP in a shirt and tie. :o :cool: :o

Isn't pretty much any organization a corporate structure in some form or fashion? Regardless as to the service that you offer, you do need to have a focus on the day-to-day business infrastructure of your organization, whether its an NBA team, GLO, or Junior League.

If memory serves me correctly, didn't professional sports dress more "corporately" (as some people put it) back in the day anyway? I'm sure it was unwritten rules of the times, but I'm just curious as to why now its suddenly so wrong.

Using Tony's example, if companies require its employees to dress a certain way (and yet no one says a thing about it) why should it be different for NBA players? This isn't in their personal lives, but when conducting "league business or a team member" (according to the dress code that CT4 posted).

Forget about work, what about church?funerals? Many do not.

This is slightly off topic, but what happened to wearing a nice pair of slacks and shirt to church, funeral, or wedding from time to time?

:confused:

I agree. SOME parents dress relatively decently but their kids come looking like who shot John? :confused: :( :o

You can't prove that what a guy wears from the hotel to the bus to the arena has any impact on how he plays on the floor that night. After graduation, I interned in Detroit as a sports reporter and saw several pro athletes up close. Trust me, the number of fans in the arena early enough to see teams arrive, or who stayed long enough to see them leave an arena was negligble.

This new rule is an image, therefore a dollar, chase. Jordan suited up, but that was his choice, not the Bulls. Most guys, at least in Detroit, (and this was baseball, football and basketball) threw on sweats, or nice jeans and that was it. (unless they were clubbing afterward, I guess.)

Pro teams have standard "behavior clauses" in contracts but I've never heard it extend to attire. Some pro teams have on-the-road dress codes, tie/jacket, but it wasn't league mandated.

"This isn't in their personal lives, but when conducting "league business or a team member." --HK74

...so if a player uses his off day to visit the hospital and sign autographs for sick children is it his personal time, or is he on league business? what if he's visiting when his sport is off season? must he suit up then?

@CT4.. I totally feel you

I was at a funeral a few weeks ago and a couple of brothas came in with white tees, jeans, and tims.... and the girl that was with them came in with a shirt that had "Candy" on it..... :(

When I wa growing up.. anytime i stepped into church (except choir practice, club meetings..etc) I was always in a suit and tie.. I feel weird going to church now during dress down weeks with jeans...

....and NBA has NEVER been about the dollar chase within these last few years? So kids who go into the NBA fresh out of high school are doing it because they love the game so much as opposed for the money? Every player and they granny has/goes after endorsement deals because they simply want to spread the love of basketball? :confused: :eek: People are trying to get paid from EVERY angle - players, franchise owners, etc.

This issue really isn't that complicated. If the player is conducting league business (ie traveling to and from a game, publicity events, etc.) then he has to "dress up" - and that's really it. Obviously how he dresses on his personal time is his business.

Why the hoopla over dress code, but not "behavioral clauses"? It concerns me moreso than having to wear a pair of Ralph Lauren slacks after the game.

1 step at a time
 

Possibly, the behavioral clauses are next on the league's agenda. :confused:

I wonder if he's looking at the fact that the way you dress is often tied to how you act (therefore - if a player is dressed professionally during a function - he will act in a more professional manner).

Re: 1 step at a time
 

Could be. I know my job has one and I don't anything near as lucrative as play basketball. LOL

Perhaps. However, is it necessarily true? Maybe it's a 'back to basics' idea. Back in the day, professional players and collegiate athletes were expected to dress a certain way before games. It wasn't something written, that's just how it was back then. I guess with a change in the time, we have become more relaxed.


:confused:

I think we're talking past each other so I'll draw it to a close here.

I'm not sure what point you're making w/ your 1st statement (above). Because the NBA is ALWAYS about the $, this dress policy shift will ultimately reflect that. My guess is we'll see some new marketing initiative in the near future.

In the days of team and personal cross-promotion, a player's "league business-personal time" is increasingly blurred.

The hoopla over dress code is because we were talking....dress code. If you want to talk behavioral clauses fine, but that's another topic.

I think (or hope)HK was being facetious, Tony. I don't think Ma Dear and LeBronald ( :D )are trying to get major contracts and endorsement deals to spread the love they have for B-ball. They are trying to get P.A.I.D! :D

You got it. :D I was getting the impression that it was somehow strange for the NBA to want to change its image for monetary purposes - as if people are only there just to play.

My first statement basically stated that the NBA has always been about the $$$$ not because they just "love the game". I'm sure the love is there, but $$$$$ is always at the top of the list.

If this dress code is simply to create more $$$$$ then its not like its uncharacteristic of the NBA.

I don't see any problem with the dress code. I think that black folks are extremely creative when it comes to fashion so we will hip-hopnotize the new dress code if we need to. It reminds me of the episode where Fresh Prince went to the private school where he had to wear a uniform. So to customize it to his style, he turned the blazer inside out and wore the tie without a button-down shirt.
The NBA players, in essence, could do the same thing if they still feel the need to show their individual style. The code says nothing about what colors or fabrics they can wear. It says nothing about whether the dress shoes have to be Stacey Adams or Gators from Detroit Dave's Shoe House.
Kanye and Jay-Z made it fashionable to dress like you are headed to the Country Club anyway. And Kanye, especially is creative with his. I don't see any reason why the NBA players can't do the same.

No, but really...
 

How hard is it to put on business attire?

It's not as if the NBA mandated their players to make the clothes. They didn't ask them to make the silk shirts they might wear and they didn't ask them to endure labor-like conditions to shed the sweat pants and put on some creased slacks. They're asking them to dress like grown men. How difficult can that be?


Also, to Stephen Jackson: Shut up. Please. :rolleyes:


enigma_AKA

Exactly!! Plus like I said before, if they work it right, they can come up with a line of suits and like attire for men.

when i was in high school, no matter what team you were on, you were required to come to school on the day of games in business attire... i didn't see anything wrong with it...

once these men realize just how downright delicious they look in a custom tailored suit (which they ALL make enough money to afford), they will want to wear them all the time!!!! if you are an athelete why are you wearing 5 carat diamond earrings and platinum chains with a billion diamonds on the pendant to a game ANYWAY????? leave that shyt for the club and hanging out on personal time...

I also have no major issues with the dress code. I'm surprised, however, that TIM DUNCAN, of all people, was complaining about it. TD has got to be the blandest colorless :p man ever, and he's complaining?

But I don't want to see this, though:

http://sportsmed.starwave.com/media/..._shaqhat_i.jpg

^^^ Lol @ Steeltrap.

According to the new code, Shaq is not in compliance. He is violating the hat and chain rule. :p

That's racist CT4! You know that wearing the chain on the outside is cultural. Shaq can't help it. :p

:p
He sure is. And did you know that was his Omega medallion? I remember him talking about it during one of the press conferences.

I see a problem with it...

Basketball is an entertainment type career. It's not your normal 9 to 5 corporate career, so let's not try to pretend like it is. Do music execs ask Mike Jones and TI to tuck in their chains and wear suits to business meetings relating to their professions?? No. Because even though they are attending business meetings, they are still entertainers and it would be ridiculous to ask them to play a part they were never intended to play in the first place. If basketball players want to get dressed up for conferences and such when they feel like it then so be it... but for Mr. Stern to impose such a policy on players when they have been able to dress as they please up until this point, that is ridiculous.... and BTW, I love to see AI with huge diamond studs on at press conferences after a game... its who he is and if thats what he wants to wear, then so be it.:rolleyes:

Most workplaces hav a dress code, so I don't see a difference. I can't arrive at work with jogging pants and a tank top. In fact, there are very few people who can. I think it's a small gesture to ask from someone who's being paid millions of dollars a year. I'll wear a suit EVERYDAY when my salary becomes half of what most NBA players make.