The NBA Dress Code

One of the strangest rules in the National Basketball Association does not occur on the court. It is the dress code. Implemented on October 17, 2005, Commissioner David Stern made this a mandatory rule for players to dress in business or conservative attire during certain situations. It was the first mandatory rule of its kind in professional sports, although the NHL does have a jacket and tie policy.

Stern said that this dress code would be active in a couple areas. First, the players must dress appropriately when arriving and departing during a game. They must dress accordingly when they are injured and attending the game. Finally, they must wear proper attire when conducting NBA business, such as interviews or charity events.

This dress code did specify which items were okay and which weren't. Jeans, do-rags, t-shirts, large jewelry, sneakers, and boots were not to be worn during the events listed above. If a player does wear prohibited items, they are subject to fines and may be subject to suspension for repeat offenders. The NBA developed this rule to help fight their image problem. So far, there have been no apparent punishments that have been handed out for violations.

The main incentive for this change was the result of the Pacers-Pistons brawl in 2004. Because this was a job, people wanted the players to conduct their business and professionalism. The rule does not stipulate that a player must wear a tie or suit, though. Many teams said that they had already had a dress code of their own, fining players for breaking certain rules that teams had set forth.

Some players publicly thrashed this new rule. Allen Iverson, Stephen Jackson, and Paul Pierce were among the highest status stars that opposed this regulation. They stated that changing a player's clothing will not change who they are and their character. They also felt this was targeting the black community that enjoyed the hip-hop style, which they found racist. Iverson even went on to say that this dress code didn't allow him to express who he really is. Sports figures also agreed that while the NBA restricts the wearing of some hip-hop styles, they do promote other sponsors such as Nike, Puma, Adidas, and Reebok, all of which are predominantly tailored for the hip-hop style. In any case, Stern said this regulation was not meant to be taken as racist, as he simply wanted these businessmen to conduct their job in a clean, professional manner.

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