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Championship!!!!
Phoenix Suns follow new NBA dress code in season opener
Megan Finnerty and Doug Haller
The Arizona Republic
Nov. 2, 2005 12:00 AM
Steve Nash wore a blazer.
But not just any blazer. The notoriously underdressed MVP guard wore a blazer that summed up the way he felt about the NBA's new "business casual" dress code, effective Tuesday night: fitted and blue with purposely distressed edges.
"I'd rather be in jeans and a T-shirt," he said, before the Phoenix Suns met the Dallas Mavericks at America West Arena for the season opener. "But we'll give it a try."
The dress code states players must wear collared shirts, dress shoes, and slacks or dress jeans when on league business.
Some Suns players said the new dress code is a non-issue, but a few were peeved.
"I think it's BS," said guard Jim Jackson, wearing a blue dress shirt, slacks and Donald J. Pliner slip-ons. "My problem is the NBA is making a lot of money off the hip-hop culture and everything, but they don't want us to dress like that. It's hypocritical."
Other players enjoyed showing off their style and wealth, such as forward Kurt Thomas, who came from the New York Knicks.
Dressing up is all they do there, he said.
He wore a custom-made charcoal dress shirt and coordinating slacks, adding that he was holding off on wearing a suit until later in the season, for a more high-profile game.
"I love getting dressed up, but it's just Game 1, so I didn't think it was appropriate," he said.
Forward Shawn Marion, who was unconcerned about the dress code, still looked sharp in a custom-made pink and purple plaid collared shirt with Phat Farm dress jeans and a Versace belt that he made sure to point out.
"I'm for it on the bench but against it as far as coming to the game. You just want to be comfortable," he said.
Forward James Jones took a diplomatic approach.
"All the guys in the league have this in their wardrobe," he said. "But at the end of the day, it's only a couple minutes walking to and from the arena."
Guard Raja Bell needed to step up his "shoe game" and "blazer game," he said, because he wore only Adidas. He also bought several pairs of dress jeans the past few weeks, though he admits he has no idea what "dress jeans" are.
For other players still struggling with the new dress code, perhaps they should take advice from Neil Vaswani, assistant manager of Thaku's Menswear Big Tall Short in Scottsdale, which caters to many Valley athletes.
He recommends transitioning from dirtball to debonair by wearing a lightweight dress shirt or a draping knit top with an athletic-cut sports coat, ones that have deeper cut armholes, broader shoulders and nipped waists.
It's past time the league addressed players' appearances, he added.
"Basketball has just loosened up the last two or three year, and it's really gone to hell," Vaswani said.
Reach the reporter at [email protected] or (602) 444-8770.
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/suns/articles/1102nbafashion1102.html
Megan Finnerty and Doug Haller
The Arizona Republic
Nov. 2, 2005 12:00 AM
Steve Nash wore a blazer.
But not just any blazer. The notoriously underdressed MVP guard wore a blazer that summed up the way he felt about the NBA's new "business casual" dress code, effective Tuesday night: fitted and blue with purposely distressed edges.
"I'd rather be in jeans and a T-shirt," he said, before the Phoenix Suns met the Dallas Mavericks at America West Arena for the season opener. "But we'll give it a try."
The dress code states players must wear collared shirts, dress shoes, and slacks or dress jeans when on league business.
Some Suns players said the new dress code is a non-issue, but a few were peeved.
"I think it's BS," said guard Jim Jackson, wearing a blue dress shirt, slacks and Donald J. Pliner slip-ons. "My problem is the NBA is making a lot of money off the hip-hop culture and everything, but they don't want us to dress like that. It's hypocritical."
Other players enjoyed showing off their style and wealth, such as forward Kurt Thomas, who came from the New York Knicks.
Dressing up is all they do there, he said.
He wore a custom-made charcoal dress shirt and coordinating slacks, adding that he was holding off on wearing a suit until later in the season, for a more high-profile game.
"I love getting dressed up, but it's just Game 1, so I didn't think it was appropriate," he said.
Forward Shawn Marion, who was unconcerned about the dress code, still looked sharp in a custom-made pink and purple plaid collared shirt with Phat Farm dress jeans and a Versace belt that he made sure to point out.
"I'm for it on the bench but against it as far as coming to the game. You just want to be comfortable," he said.
Forward James Jones took a diplomatic approach.
"All the guys in the league have this in their wardrobe," he said. "But at the end of the day, it's only a couple minutes walking to and from the arena."
Guard Raja Bell needed to step up his "shoe game" and "blazer game," he said, because he wore only Adidas. He also bought several pairs of dress jeans the past few weeks, though he admits he has no idea what "dress jeans" are.
For other players still struggling with the new dress code, perhaps they should take advice from Neil Vaswani, assistant manager of Thaku's Menswear Big Tall Short in Scottsdale, which caters to many Valley athletes.
He recommends transitioning from dirtball to debonair by wearing a lightweight dress shirt or a draping knit top with an athletic-cut sports coat, ones that have deeper cut armholes, broader shoulders and nipped waists.
It's past time the league addressed players' appearances, he added.
"Basketball has just loosened up the last two or three year, and it's really gone to hell," Vaswani said.
Reach the reporter at [email protected] or (602) 444-8770.
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/suns/articles/1102nbafashion1102.html
