Everybody's Crazy 'Bout A Sharp Dressed Man

Many NBA players have no problem with the attire directives. These are the players who already dressed accordingly and therefore won't have to go on shopping sprees for more suitable wardrobes. But since there are two sides to every coin, of course there are those who see the matter differently. Among them is Indiana Pacers guard Stephen Jackson, who told ESPN that the league ban on chains worn over clothing is "a racist statement" from the league. "I just think that's attacking young, black males," he proclaimed. Does he have a valid point to make as he pulls the proverbial race card? Not in my opinion. A man's blackness or lack thereof is not defined by how he dresses, so judging a person's wardrobe is not one and the same as judging his race. The hip hop generation consists of plenty of young white men who David Stern would be equally offended by. Baggy jeans, tattoos, thick chains with large medallions, skullcaps, and whatever other pieces of apparel are currently fashionable in the hip hop world transcend race, color and creed. What they do not transcend are rules that any private organization in this country has a right to make. There are various jobs a person can hold that would allow him to dress as he pleases during work hours. Bike messenger is one that leaps to mind. Stephen Jackson is free to change vocations if the limitations of the NBA's new dress code offends his delicate sensibilities, but he should keep in mind that opting to haul packages while riding a bicycle bumper to bumper with midtown traffic will come with a considerable reduction in salary. The other way to go would be for him to become the owner of a business and set his own standard of appearance. He could then choose to mirror the laissez faire frat guy look exhibited by Mark Cuban, or perhaps the inexplicable head of hiar look perfected by Donald Trump.

It shouldn't be necessary to state this, but wearing a shirt with sleeves and a collar will not automatically designate Stephen Fetchit/Lil' Sambo status upon a young man. There is a time and place to dress like a homey, and a time and place to dress like someone with a respectable job. A tie is not a noose. An NBA player doesn't need to have gold and diamonds gleaming from every few square inches

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