Allen Iverson still not over NBA's 'unfair' dress code
Allen Iverson is an NBA legend whose game transcended the laws of physics and popular culture.
Before his prime, nobody thought a body that small could be so tough, and so consistently effective as a scorer in the NBA. Listed at 6'0" and 165 pounds, Iverson somehow won four scoring titles and captured the imagination of just about everyone who watched him play.
Off the court, he was a polarizing icon, and a symbol of everything the NBA wanted to separate itself from when Commissioner David Stern instituted a formal dress code in October 2005. (Iverson went on to average 33 points per game while shooting 44.7 percent from the floor the following season.)
More than 10 years later, Iverson still isn't over the league's decision to tell him what he could and could not wear, and he wonders why players like Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook (whom Iverson adores) are able to dress as they do without punishment (via Complex):
Speaking of Westbrook, he’s also made a name for himself with what he wears off the court. Your name is always linked to the changing of the NBA dress code. Do you think it should be changed again? I don’t have an opinion because it doesn’t affect me. But, the way that I feel about the dress code is, if they had a problem with what I was wearing, I don’t know how they don’t have a problem with what these guys are wearing. Good gracious. I ain’t ever seen nothing like it. I’m sitting at home like they used to bother me about what I was wearing and these guys come in here…. [Shakes head.] You know what I’m saying? Definitely. It’s funny to me. But, I just felt the NBA was just picking on me. That’s all. Other guys in the league at the time dressed like me. Guys is supposed to be able to be original and dress like how they want to dress. The NBA can’t dress no grown man. So you’re for no dress code change at all? I have no problem with none of the things that players wear today. I wouldn’t wear it. I don’t have any problems with what these guys wear because they got their own style and their own originality. That’s the way it’s supposed to be, man. Everybody is their own person. I don’t have a problem with what these guys doing and I think it would be sad and unfair if they were to try to change the dress code again.
Does he have a point? Sure. The NBA made a racially insensitive mistake when it enforced a mandatory dress code on a league that's largely comprised of African-American players.
The result of that rule, by and large, has been positive, though. NBA players have transformed into global style icons. Westbrook, LeBron James and dozens of other stars have been fantastic ambassadors since taking up an interest in high fashion.
Can't even lie, Westbrook's outfit is flames tonight https://t.co/suUkYBnaEP
— Bottlegate (@Bottlegate) January 9, 2016
Would this have still happened had the league not cracked down on Iverson's baggy clothes, tattoos and jewelry? It's impossible to say. But, in a way, Iverson suffered so those after him could celebrate their own individuality, and for that reason alone he's one of the most important players in NBA history.
While we're (kind of) on the subject, here's another question: Would Iverson thrive in today's league, where ball-dominant guards who can't shoot 3-pointers are essentially a disease? Or would he be a slightly more entertaining version of Monta Ellis? Iverson was a career 31.3 percent shooter from behind the 3-point line, which stirs an interesting debate.
Either way, he's awesome, and deserves even more credit than he probably gets.
