Oh No He Didn't (Pacers' Jackson calls Dress Code 'racist')

While they are in the public eye they should dress like professionals. I mean, they are professional basketball players. Once they get home or in the summer they can wear all the fubu and bling-bling they want. But when you go to work you have to look respectable and professional.

I'm too lazy to look at the dress code, does it prohibit ear rings?

But Jae they arent employees of David Stern. They are under contract with their specified teams. I can see why some players arent happy, especially the way David Stern has handled it. He's gone a bit crazy the last few years. Maybe its time for Mark Cuban to take over as commish

http://www.blogmaverick.com/ cuban expresses his thoughts on it
lol wow duncan actually talking. Very unexpected, I want to see stern fine him. Then you know something is wrong when that happens

go get a real job

What I do is far from a real job.

I agree that the players should wear business casual attire on the bench if injured and for functions that require such....as for the plane trips, to and from the games then smart casual would be fine....

I really don't see what the problem is....you want to wear a chain, wear it under your clothes, that use to be the general idea of them....if it is so important to them to wear then they shouldn't care what other people think....they can still wear it, just under their clothes....if they buy some good suits, then they will be comfortable in them....but I guess they might lose some street cred

I'm required to wear professional attire everyday, so they should too....and it's not like the NBA has gone as far as taking away all individuality....NBA players can still wear cornrows, afros, beards, facial hair, etc....in the real world you can't....

Timmy D getting some attitude! The Spurs are getting better and better.

Duncan was to start wearing chains to Mr T proportions

I pity the foo' who gets in Timmy's way.

As said before the players are part of an organization such as the NBA and they should follow its rules and regulations especially when that rule was agreed upon by the player's representatives (the players union) and the league itself. Maybe the players should have an active participation during bargaining agreements.

But Jae they arent employees of David Stern. They are under contract with their specified teams

but those teams still are under the wings of the NBA, i.e David Stern

I agree with Duncan - it's retarded. I mean, this is sports - it's entertainment, not friggin' IBM. I could care less what athletes(in any league) wear before or after the game. Stern's trying to make the NBA more appealing to middle America. I can't stand him, but he's in charge - the players have to follow the rules.

Stern will discuss this issue on Mike & the Mad Dog at 5:30pm(WFAN-660 AM).

You might not care, but the sponsers do.

This really blurs the line between "entertainment" and "professionalism."

Why should you wear a suit and stuff? No one is really going to see you anyway... I mean you go on a private plane, then a bus, then straight into the locker room. WTF is the point of wearing a suit when the viewer and people aren't going to even see the players.

Have you ever seen an NBA game where they show the players entering the arena? Have you seen press conferences? Players sitting on the bench?

Plus, it's not just for the TV audience but for anyone who happens to cross their path while doing NBA buisness. You think the world sleeps as the players get to the arena and get on their planes?

How is it racist? In the dress code does it say blacks can't wear fubu and chains but whites can? I don't think so. Whites have to follow the same rules as blacks. Therefore, it really can't be racist unless they are stupid and want to throw the race card around like it's nothing.

Seriously, people who pull the race card are stooges.

Wow, this may be a first.
I ABSOLUTELY agree with Riot, this has nothing to do with race.

The thing is, their way of dressing is not appropriate for their job. As someone said, you don't see lawyers or doctors in retro jerseys and bulky diamond chains.
Also, every player in the league must obey the code, not just african-americans.

I love how everytime someone agrees with me they are in shock and it's the "first" time they've ever agreed with me. I didn't know I was in the minority on every issue.

I'm against the dresscode, but I found a legit reason to have one

hahaha. Oh my god that's the funniest thing I've ever seen. Oh man.

Wade looks ok. J-Will..
The girl in the background taking the pic is fat.

It makes it even worse that the players can't even wear headbands if they wear headbands during the game on the bench. Once they sit on the bench they have to take the headbands off