The NBA dress code is the answer for the player’s image problem. In recent news, NBA players must wear “business casual” attire whenever they are engaged in team or league business. This means players have to wear a dress shirt, dress pants, and dress shoes when they are in interviews, meetings, etc. They can’t wear any sleeveless shirts, t-shirts, jerseys, sports apparel, shorts, headgear, chains, pendants, or medallions while on team or league business. Plus, as Commissioner David Sturn applied this rule to the NBA, many players complained and whined like little kids about the dress code, which they should not have.
If many big corporations have dress codes, why can’t the NBA? In addition to all of this, children are getting a bad influence from watching the NBA players dress like typical gangsters. Players must support this rule in order for them to show a better image of them across the country. Many major corporations have a dress code, telling them to wear business attire such as a nice suit and a tie. With the same idea, Commissioner David Sturn wants the NBA players to look appealing and sharp in front of the whole country.
Lawyers and other hard working people wear business attire because they want to look professional and nicely dressed. So why is it so bad for the NBA players to look descent? Doesn’t a nice clean suit, with a tie, look much better than baggy clothes and medallions with chains? With players making a bad image, the NBA will look like a clan full of gangsters! This is one of the reasons to believe that wearing nice business attire is a great choice. The NBA players shouldn’t complain about the dress code.
The NBA dress code might be unfair to them, but they have to follow the rules and obey the commands of their boss. Some NBA players such as Allen Iverson and Tim Duncan complained about the dress code, but do the people think that the head organization will listen to them and delete the dress code, no! The head organization, as well as David Sturn, will support the dress code because they know that it is right. So guys such as Iverson and Duncan will get a higher reputation by following the dress code. For the players to complain about the dress code, without mentioning race is very hard.
Many players, who oppose Stern, think that the rule is a slap at African-Americans. Just as a reminder, the rule applies to every NBA player. And wasn’t it Michael Jordan who showed everyone a great image by walking out of the locker room with a nice suit on? People mustn’t look at each other differently, so the dress code was sent out to make people have the same judgment toward different players. Another comment made, was said by Charlotte’s Brevin Knight who begged for the league to undue the financial burden that would be put on some NBA players.
He said, “It’s a little bit extreme, unless they are going to give us some type of voucher for clothes for guys who don’t make the same amount as other people. ” It is very nice for him to think of the less fortunate, but the minimum NBA player salary last year was $385,000. 00 a year. So how do the people making $38,500. 00 a year, buy a couple of nice suits and keep food on the table for their families? There must be a way for a NBA player making ten times more than that, afford to buy a few suits. This is but one argument to make people believe that the dress code is the right decision.
The most important reason why the dress code is a good idea is related to the fact that children are getting a bad influence from watching the NBA players wearing what a typical gangster would wear. Most kid’s schools today, have a strong rule that tells them not to wear baggy clothes, chains, medallions, and other gangster type clothes. Because the NBA is shown daily, kids watch their idols with the clothes that their school specifically said not to wear. This leads the kids to be confused and wondering who to follow. This bad influence of gangster material will make young children think that these clothes are the best.
With the dress code, the league will gain a better reputation toward the kids and adults, by wearing a nice suit and a tie. This is probably the most persuading reason for supporting the dress code. The dress code is the solution to many problems in the NBA. Imagine if all of the NBA players come out of the locker room with nice clean suits. With this in mind, the players will make a better image of them and will set an excellent example towards their fans, especially kids. The image of the players will motivate other people to look sharp. The NBA players should follow the dress code to help the league in multiple ways.
