All right, for you hoopsheads out there, I'm sure you've heard enough already about the NBA dress code and am glad the season is underway. Recently, though, I spoke with some NBA players about their feelings and came up with a suggestion. Although it will probably never come to fruition, I think there may have been a better solution to this whole conflict.
First off, I feel that I must state my position on the whole issue. Is there anything wrong asking players to put on a suit when representing your sport? No. But I do find a problem with the owners and David Stern "dressing up" their players to appeal to a largely white audience. Or in other words, listen to what the master says, or else you will be punished.
I don't care when people make analogies like, "if you showed up to work at T.D. Waterhouse, would you have on a doo-rag?" How many times have you gone to Rucker Park or your local playground, showing up in a suit before you played? Many times, college or high school teams wear suits when traveling and that is fine, but these NBA players are grown men. If you're willing to pay a man millions of dollars to do what he does on the court, bearing your team's name, appearing in your commercials to promote the league, I think the least you could do is allow him to be comfortable getting on a plane or while being interviewed.
Anyways, back to the matter at hand. If this whole thing is about money in the first place, then Daddy Warbucks Stern himself missed an easy way to cash in. What if instead of the dress code, they disallowed jerseys/t-shirts, hats, etc. and made players sitting on the bench or being interviewed post-game to simply be allowed to wear team apparel. Whether it be a sweatsuit, a t-shirt or a polo shirt with the team's insignia, it would be much more comfortable for the players and also flash those NBA logos on the screen even more than before.
I'm sure the same apparel, sweatpants, sweatshirts, would be available to sell, as well, with fans being able to purchase the same "official" team gear as their favorite players. Maybe wearing a Fubu shirt on the sidelines isn't too fitting, but would anyone complain, even corporate businessmen, if those players were wearing simple team apparel?
Looks like Commissioner Stern hasn't cashed in on everything he could ... yet.
Free Throws: Tidbits From Around the League
* This thing in Miami doesn't look too good from the get-go. J-Will and 'Toine already arguing and the Diesel out for up to a month. All they need is Kobe [Bryant], Karl [Malone], and Phil [Jackson], and you have the '04 Lakers — South Beach-style.
* Larry Brown, welcome back to New York. Expect trigger-happy Isiah Thomas to make some moves soon.
* Michael Jordan's interview on 60 Minutes a few week back was mostly boring and uninformative. Is it possible that the G.O.A.T.'s legacy has taken such a hit since leaving the Bulls?
* Andre Iguodala is going to do some scary things this season. With Amare Stoudemire gone for a while, he takes over as most ferocious dunker in the league.
* Speaking of dunks, it's good to see V.C. hasn't lost his touch. He should send 'Zo a card with his condolences.
* Maybe Sam Cassell was onto something when he predicted a Clipper postseason ... then again, maybe not.
* The Bucks sure have hit a bump after everyone was declaring them playoff contenders after the first two games.
* Would the Tar Heel boys have had more fun if they stayed in school? Just imagine what the Duke/UNC rivalry would have been like this year.
* Kirk Hinrich is the truth. No matter what they do, Chicago cannot let him and Ben Gordon go.
* Is there anything better than Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith, and Ernie Johnson at halftime? Forget dancing kids or clowns — every arena halftime show should just be them on the scoreboard.
* San Antonio will not be stopped.
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