Colonels head basketball coach J.P. Piper and Lady Colonels head basketball coach Mark Cook agree with the newly established dress code in the NBA and prepare to take a page from ZZ Top and have their teams look like “sharp dressed (wo)men.”Last week NBA Commissioner David Stern put forth a rule that all players not on the active roster must wear dress clothes such as a shirt, tie, slacks, sports coat and dress shoes. Gold chains, ‘do rags, retro jerseys and tennis shoes are prohibited from being worn while on the sideline during a game.
Several players such as Kevin Garnett, Lebron James and Shaq have no problem dressing up while others like Allen Iverson and Tim Duncan question the decision.
“I understand what they’re trying to do with forbidding hats and ‘do rags,” Duncan told the San Antonio Express News. “That’s fine, but I don’t understand why they would take it to this level. I think it’s basically retarded.”
Indiana Pacers guard Stephen Jackson, on the other hand, said he doesn’t mind the dress code, but certain restrictions, such as no gold chains, he believes are unnecessary.
“Almost 100 percent of the guys in the league who are young and black wear big chains, so I definitely don’t agree with that at all,” Jackson told the Indianapolis Star. “It’s one thing to enforce a dress code, which is no big deal, but it’s another to attack a person’s culture.”
When it comes to coaches dressing up, both coaches say they “enjoy” it, and Piper said it wouldn’t take much to change his mind if he didn’t dress up for games.
“If someone paid me the league minimum of $300,000 a year, I would wear a clown suit to work if they asked me to,” Piper said. “Those guys are making millions and if the guy they work for, Commissioner David Stern, wants them to wear a tie on the bench to make themselves presentable, then I don’t see why that’s unreasonable.”
Cook agreed. “I like it,” Cook said. “The commissioner isn’t asking for much; all he wants them to do is look more professional. When you’re making millions like those guys are, then it shouldn’t be a problem dressing up.”
As far as dress codes for their teams, both Piper and Cook like their players to look professional when traveling.
“We ordered collared shirts for them to wear tucked in when we travel,” Piper said. “We want to look like a team when we travel, and when they aren’t playing for some reason, they will wear the shirts on the bench.”
Piper added, “It shows you’re a part of something bigger than yourself, and when folks encounter us on the road this year hopefully they will be impressed once we leave.”
Cook believes his team also needs to look professional on the road.
“We always dress up when we go on the road,” Cook said. “When we leave we represent the University, so it’s almost necessary to look good as a reflection of the University.”
Although he approves of dressing up, Piper said his opinion would probably differ if he were younger, but believes he owes it back to the game of basketball.
“This (basketball) is a great game; it pays my salary and helps me support my family. I think the only way to honor that is by putting on a coat and tie and honoring the game and Nicholls basketball.
