NBA Enforces Dress Code
OAKLAND, Calif. (Oct. 20) - Jason Richardson wants to keep wearing his gold chains, and the Golden State Warriors guard believes the NBA's new dress code takes aim at black players in the league.
He's calling for the players' association to fight the new wardrobe rules announced this week that will go into effect when the season kicks off next month.
"They want to sway away from the hip-hop generation," Richardson said Wednesday night, before the Warriors beat the Phoenix Suns in a preseason game. "You think of hip-hop right now and think of things that happen like gangs having shootouts in front of radio stations."
Richardson, who describes his style as "different" and says he won't be caught as a "copy cat," left the Oakland Arena wearing a camouflage zip-up sweatshirt, a long necklace with a diamond-encrusted triangle at the end, and a beige cap slightly tilted to one side.
"One thing to me that was kind of racist was you can't wear chains outside your clothing," he said. "I don't understand what that has to do with being business approachable. ... You wear a suit you still could be a crook. You see all that happened with Enron and Martha Stewart. Just because you dress a certain way doesn't mean you're that way. Hey, a guy could come in with baggy jeans, a do-rag and have a Ph.D. and a person who comes in with a suit could be a three-time felon."
Players will be required to wear business-casual attire when involved in team or league business. They can't wear visible chains, pendants or medallions over their clothes.
Some players already acknowledge they probably will face fines for breaking the rules on occasion.
"I feel like if they want us to dress a certain way, they should pay for our clothes," said Philadelphia's Allen Iverson. "It's just tough, man, knowing that all of a sudden you have to have a dress code out of nowhere. I don't think that's going to help the image of the league at all. ... It kind of makes it fake. The whole thing is fake."
The NBA announced Monday in a memo to teams that a dress code will go into effect at the start of the season. Saying players must dress in "business casual" attire, the league banned items such as sleeveless shirts, shorts, sunglasses while indoors, and headphones during team or league business.
The edict also requires players on the bench not in uniform to wear sport jackets, shoes and socks. Richardson doesn't object to that part of the rule.
Warriors coach Mike Montgomery believes players should look "like a member of a basketball team" while on the bench.
"The other area is certainly an area for debate," Montgomery said. "We'll just have to see it plays out. I understand both sides of the argument."
Indiana guard Stephen Jackson, who like Richardson is black, agrees that the policy is trying to keep players from expressing their hip-hop style. Celtics guard Paul Pierce also shares that sentiment.
"I dress how I feel anyway," Pierce said Wednesday night in Boston. "I think I'm just going to continue to dress how I feel. I think there's some days I may take a fine."
In protest of the policy, Jackson wore four chains to the Pacers' exhibition game against San Antonio on Tuesday night. Jackson defended his actions Wednesday, but said he won't allow his feelings to cause a distraction once the regular season starts.
"They don't want your chains to be out, all gaudy and shiny. But that's the point of them," he said. "I love wearing my jewelry. But I love my job. I love playing basketball more than I love getting fined and getting suspended."
Richardson has always liked to express himself with his funky attire. Now, he knows he will be wearing his suits much more often _ noting "I've got a nice collection of suits."
He doesn't mind the league mandate for "cleaning up" the bench, but believes a large number of players make their way to and from their cars out of the public view, so they should be able to wear what they want in those cases.
"You're expressing yourself, expressing your identity. It's taking away our self expression. I like to dress and change it up," Richardson said. "Some of them have religious meanings behind their chains, others have personal messages behind their chains. Some guys just like to wear them. I think that was an indirectly racial."
He's calling for the players' association to fight the new wardrobe rules announced this week that will go into effect when the season kicks off next month.
"They want to sway away from the hip-hop generation," Richardson said Wednesday night, before the Warriors beat the Phoenix Suns in a preseason game. "You think of hip-hop right now and think of things that happen like gangs having shootouts in front of radio stations."
Richardson, who describes his style as "different" and says he won't be caught as a "copy cat," left the Oakland Arena wearing a camouflage zip-up sweatshirt, a long necklace with a diamond-encrusted triangle at the end, and a beige cap slightly tilted to one side.
"One thing to me that was kind of racist was you can't wear chains outside your clothing," he said. "I don't understand what that has to do with being business approachable. ... You wear a suit you still could be a crook. You see all that happened with Enron and Martha Stewart. Just because you dress a certain way doesn't mean you're that way. Hey, a guy could come in with baggy jeans, a do-rag and have a Ph.D. and a person who comes in with a suit could be a three-time felon."
Players will be required to wear business-casual attire when involved in team or league business. They can't wear visible chains, pendants or medallions over their clothes.
Some players already acknowledge they probably will face fines for breaking the rules on occasion.
"I feel like if they want us to dress a certain way, they should pay for our clothes," said Philadelphia's Allen Iverson. "It's just tough, man, knowing that all of a sudden you have to have a dress code out of nowhere. I don't think that's going to help the image of the league at all. ... It kind of makes it fake. The whole thing is fake."
The NBA announced Monday in a memo to teams that a dress code will go into effect at the start of the season. Saying players must dress in "business casual" attire, the league banned items such as sleeveless shirts, shorts, sunglasses while indoors, and headphones during team or league business.
The edict also requires players on the bench not in uniform to wear sport jackets, shoes and socks. Richardson doesn't object to that part of the rule.
Warriors coach Mike Montgomery believes players should look "like a member of a basketball team" while on the bench.
"The other area is certainly an area for debate," Montgomery said. "We'll just have to see it plays out. I understand both sides of the argument."
Indiana guard Stephen Jackson, who like Richardson is black, agrees that the policy is trying to keep players from expressing their hip-hop style. Celtics guard Paul Pierce also shares that sentiment.
"I dress how I feel anyway," Pierce said Wednesday night in Boston. "I think I'm just going to continue to dress how I feel. I think there's some days I may take a fine."
In protest of the policy, Jackson wore four chains to the Pacers' exhibition game against San Antonio on Tuesday night. Jackson defended his actions Wednesday, but said he won't allow his feelings to cause a distraction once the regular season starts.
"They don't want your chains to be out, all gaudy and shiny. But that's the point of them," he said. "I love wearing my jewelry. But I love my job. I love playing basketball more than I love getting fined and getting suspended."
Richardson has always liked to express himself with his funky attire. Now, he knows he will be wearing his suits much more often _ noting "I've got a nice collection of suits."
He doesn't mind the league mandate for "cleaning up" the bench, but believes a large number of players make their way to and from their cars out of the public view, so they should be able to wear what they want in those cases.
"You're expressing yourself, expressing your identity. It's taking away our self expression. I like to dress and change it up," Richardson said. "Some of them have religious meanings behind their chains, others have personal messages behind their chains. Some guys just like to wear them. I think that was an indirectly racial."
Funny thing about these arguments from these players: their union signed off on it. For the union to do so, they must have consent from the players. What is the big deal? Do we want to be stereotyped all our lives or can we stand by our agreement(s)? clothing should be last thing on their minds after what happened in Detroit!