NBA Dress Code

I am a huge fan of the new NBA dress code. The code requires the players to wear business casual clothing while on the job. Welcome to reality. It is about time that a professional sports league begins to hold its players accountable as professionals. No one can show up at work wearing the crap that NBA players wear and expect to be taken seriously. They look like punks off the street. Or in Steve Nash's case, off the beach or maybe skatepark, whatever.

There have been claims of racism against the NBA for attacing the style of young black men. Stephen Jackson of the Indiana Pacers, in particular, doesn't have a problem with the dress, but he does not want to let go of his bling, and feels that it is a racist policy to say he cannot wear a large chain around his neck. His form of protest is to look completely ridiculous while wearing four large diamond encrusted chains around his neck. Once again, no one will take him seriously.

Raja Bell of the Phoenix Suns made a statment that goes a long way to prove that NBA players are generally clueless. He said, “We don’t really sell to big business, we sell to kids and people who are into the NBA hip-hop world. They may be marketing to the wrong people with this.” Hip-hop people around the world might associate with NBA players the most, but the NBA itself is a perfect example of a huge corporation filled with old rich men that are totally disinterested and generally offended by "hip hop" culture. How many do-rag, bling, baggy jeans wearing CEO's are pouring millions of dollars into the NBA? On the other hand how many NBA luxury boxes are filled with old rich people? When you get the answer to that, you have your answer to whether or not this is racially motivated.
It's pure economics.
Don't alienate the people who pay your bills.