yeah, but they're not CEOs. They play basketball. Yeah, they're fucking ungodly wealthy, but that's hardly their fault is it? Whether they're getting paid $6 or $6 billion, is still to put a ball through a hoop. Thhis might be my prediliction towards not ever getting dressed up for anything unless I absolutely have to. So we're coming from biased places here.

particularly after being all sweaty.

i know one ball player who this won't be new for.
The Lower Merion B-ball team always wore ties before and after games.

Yeah, we are. I think it shows respect for the audience/fans/shareholders whatever. And I wear a suit to check the mail, so...

that redheaded bomber that was on the championship team? That dude could shoot!

i think that's the kid that had a 10 page article in Philly Mag about how Kobe was dissing him.

The thing is, they are CEO's. They are CEO's of the business that is their basketball career. And since the NBA creates the atmosphere (and courts the sponsors) that make their little businesses go around, then the NBA can damn well ask them to throw on a suit.

This is really no different than the rules used by the NFL. And you see having that discipline over their players has really cost them ratings and dollars.

come on dude, discipline? seriously? there are far, far worse thugs on the sidelines in the NFL than compared to basketball, they're just hidden behind Vikings helmets.

but you get fined if your shirt isn't tucked in.

I have no problem with the dress code, but I don't really care if they have it or not.

It's not unlike having to throw on a coat and tie if I were to attend a conference or presentation on behalf of my employer, even if I were not doing the actual presenting or pitch. I may not be up in front, but I'm still representing a business.

Somebody unearth Charles Oakley. I'd like to know what he's got to say on the matter. Bruva always styled his Sunday best.

shiv's got a point - business casual is kind of a white look, that a presumably largely-white organization is imposing on a mostly-black league of people who otherwise would never choose to dress that way.

There's the kernel... is business casual "business" attire or "white" attire.

Discuss.

And my point is, they should be made to dress like this. Its called being a fucking professional. Sorry. There's a reason that coaches do that shit in high school and college, and there's a reason the NBA should do it too.

It's definitely an "old" style. I wouldn't be caught dead in pleated khakis and polo, for example.

EDIT: I would think professionalism for nba players would be best represented by a jersey.

That's for people who don't know any better, and has nothing to do with business casual attire unless you work for a cellphone company.

But, you know, if you had some white sneakers, you'd look pretty good, especially with a cellphone/blackberry clipped to your belt.

This one will probably guarantee Rasheed the first fine; Dude is always rocking his headphones.

does that make a jizzmopper a CEO of that is the business of their jizzmopping career?

isn't this essentially saying that EVERYONE not in the act of raking leaves should be dressed up in a tie?

No, but if your employer at JizzMoppers Inc. tells you to show up in a suit to mop jizz, you should do it or expect to lose your job.

I don't really have a problem with them having to wear suits on the bench but cmon, arriving and leaving games? Do they have to wear suits on the team plane? In the airport? Checking into the hotel? Where does it stop? Let 'em wear what they want and if people complain about how they look then maybe they should go watch some fucking golf.

I have zero problem with the players not appealing to white people who don't get it. Me, I grew up wanting to be like Mike - or at least Mars Blackmon's version of him, even cared to care about Derrick Coleman when he was at SU, and generally enjoyed the image side of things and certainly modeled myself after a number of athletes, hip hop stars, and so on until I moved onto whatever came next.

I still love basketball, even if I don't dress like Ricky Davis. And that's probably a good thing.

What I found kinda funny tonight was listening to the Celts owner on EEI basically saying - between the lines of course - that he thought the rule was a bit much. What sort of fines are they supposed to impose, btw? Could a player draw a game suspension for multiple dress code violations? I could envision a scenario where a player is sporting clothing with a logo - Nike, maybe? - their own company? - and consider that a necessary business expense. I'm pretty sure the And 1 crew have contract stipulations about precisely when and how they were supposed to flaunt the logo during postgame press conferences.

I think it's great that certain players have chosen to dress "business appropriate" over the years - MJ and Isaih come to mind - but I also think that NBA players are a part of culture and not only reflect what's happening in their world, but also end up being trendsetters for the rest of us. My guess is that the "thug" look - or whatever you want to call it - would've run its course sometime soon anyhow and moved onto whatever comes next.

I think it should be quite the opposite. I think on the plane, to and from practice, at the hotel, etc...this should be enforced. I guess I didn't realize they were gonna have to dress like this on the bench? I don't even understand how that works...they should be in uniform or warmups.

And for the record, I not only hate golf, I hate people who like golf.

Players on IR who sit the bench will have to be in sport-coat and slacks, a la their coaches.

Fuck dat! I'm wearin my white tee!

So punk rock.

Plain White Tees, I mean.

... That's a band, right?