The NBA Dress Code

For a rational, professional view on the The NBA Dress Code, please read Mark Cuban's comments on the dress code itself and on blog readers' comments on the dress code. Mark Cuban is the no-so-politically correct Dallas Mavericks owner. He blogs regularly about a variety of subjects, and I find he has a refreshing voice. I don't always agree with him or understand what on earth he's talking about (some of his businesses are foreign to me, and She can't explain them either).

My observations? Many business people who make far less money that NBA minimum wage players have to maintain a repertoire of business attire. They do it without getting a clothing stipend, and they don't complain. The NBA's dress code is not unreasonable, nor does it demand a player wear something different every time they appear in public. Hey, Guys. If you're not a clothes horse, get one suit custom-made (I understand off the rack just isn't an option--try being a polar bear sometime; I feel for ya'), get a couple good quality white shirts or maybe one or two in a complementary shade, and invest in a couple nice ties and a good pair of shoes. Don't forget a few pair of good quality dress socks. Mix and match as needed. That exceeds what's needed, but you'll be prepared for any public setting.

If that's too expensive, have a couple pair of khakis, a sport coat, and a couple contrasting turtlenecks to wear underneath it all. It's the business world. Other people do it everyday to make a living. If you don't want to, find another job. I hear the local car wash is a bit less restrictive. Forget about bagging groceries, though, they expect a little more.

The 2006 San Antonio Spurs

The Spurs just completed their pre-season schedule with a record of 2-7. From my disadvantaged point of only being able to see scores and read other writers' views, I'm not able to carry on an educated discussion. I will base my observations on a general impression that Coach Popovich doesn't always have winning as his only objective. The Spurs leadership and he hold a long-term vision and work toward achieving that. The Spurs also have a history of starting slow and peaking later in the year.

At the beginning of the pre-season, they signed a few players they must have wanted to look at. None of them are still with the team. The current roster looks very tight.

Brent Barry, Bruce Bowen, Tim Duncan, Michael Finley, Manu Ginobili, Robert Horry, Sean Marks, Nazr Mohammed, Rasho Nesterovic, Fabricio Oberto, Tony Parker, Beno Udrih, and Nick Van Exel. A solid, proven roster envied by many.

I believe the Spurs organization used pre-season games as a way to given lesser known players a chance to show their stuff. It should have provided a non-threatening way to see how different components of the team meshed together. The sense was supported when I read one newspaper account that Pop was playing deep bench players the entire 4th quarter. I equate deep bench and the worst point spread at the end of a game for pre-season was 12 points--most were closer to 4 as a good sign for the season to come. Of course, were other coaches playing their deep benches as well? Not living in San Antonio where I could have seen the games, I can't say.

The dearth of coverage for San Antonio continues, even though I'm seeing a bit more respect for them in written sports coverage. Yes, TNT is featuring them on opening week this year. I can catch them on TV for 20 games this year--TNT, ESPN, or ABC. All other games would cost me additional money. In San Antonio, of course, I could catch every game. In my NBA gear catalog that arrived this week, I would have expected to see San Antonio more prominently featured, but no. It's still all about the Lakers and the Bulls, and LBJ (LeBron James--once I figured that out, the fur-trimmed parka made sense: Cleveland), Melo (Carmelo Anthony), and Air Jordan.

How will the Spurs do this season? Hard to say. The team composition should be able to do the job, but will they? Last year's slogan was "One Team. One Goal." That sounds like they were focused on accomplishing what they did--not the best record in the NBA--they could have done that, probably at the expense of the championship, but the championship itself. This year's goal looks like it's "Get Ready. Get Loud." Doesn't sound so focused. San Antonio, a team which has developed into a perennial winning package under Pop's leadership, hasn't perfected the repeat yet. After 1999 and 2003, they couldn't quite pull it off. Might the third time be the charm? Let's watch.

Polar Bear Cam

The Polar Bear Cam goes live on October 21st. You know I'll be glued to it looking for friends and relatives. Why don't you check it out and see who'll be wandering around up in Manitoba? It's only operational for about a month, so don't miss the excitement. While you're waiting, the link brings up the opportunity to view 2003 Polar Bear Cam Highlights in either Windows Media Player or Quicktime. I like to check it out, because a couple of my pals are in some of the videos.