By MARTIN FRANK
The News Journal

10/20/2005

Allen Iverson left the 76ers locker room in New York on Tuesday night wearing a gray Phillies jersey and a cap. Kyle Korver was wearing a fatigue shirt.

On Nov. 1, that attire will be in violation of the NBA's dress code. The league is requiring "business casual" clothing whenever players are engaged in team or league business.

Players are required to wear a collared shirt or turtleneck and/or a sweater; dress slacks, khaki pants or dress jeans; and appropriate shoes.

When they're in attendance at games but not in uniform, they have to wear a sports coat, dress shoes and socks.

"I don't think it's good for the league, because it makes it fake," Iverson said after Wednesday's practice as the 76ers prepared for their preseason game tonight against the Cavaliers in Trenton, N.J.

"People are still going to act like [jerks] whether they have a suit on or not."

But, really, a dress code is nothing new for those in the corporate world, or for many students in the state's school system.

"A dress code portrays an image of professionalism," Woodbridge School District superintendent Kevin Carson said. "It creates an identity and a sense of oneness."

Woodbridge became the first school district in the state to implement a dress code for the entire district when it was adopted at the high school level this fall.

The dress code at Woodbridge is similar to the NBA's -- a collared shirt, tucked in, and khaki or dress slacks.

Carson said the dress code has had a significant effect in the school system in discipline and increased attendance. He said there are other advantages, too.

"Parents find it easier to dress kids, and it's more affordable than designer clothes," Carson said. "Doing laundry is simpler, and you don't have to argue with kids over what to wear. You can tell the Woodbridge kids, because they stand out and look good."

Maybe this is what NBA commissioner David Stern had in mind for the players after seeing the baggy jeans, the tilted hats and do-rags, and the jewelry for so many years.

Or maybe it had something to do with the league's corporate image, which has taken a beating in recent years, especially after the brawl last year involving several players on the Indiana Pacers and Detroit Pistons and fans in the stands.

Whatever the reason, many fans said a dress code was long overdue, although it never kept them from coming to a game.

"It's not high on my list of priorities," said longtime 76ers fan and season-ticket holder Bob Poppiti of Wilmington, who sits behind the team's bench. "But it would be nice if they came to the games looking presentable. If they're making all that money, what's the big deal about wearing a nice shirt and sports coat for 2 1/2 hours?

"I just think it shows younger people that this is the way you should look when you go to work."

Then again, the NBA is comprised of mostly young black males, many of whom don't share Stern's ideals of "business casual" dress.

Rather, many embrace the "hip-hop" image, and they have legions of younger fans who embrace that as well.

"Basically, you're saying, 'Don't dress hip-hop,'" Iverson said. "What does a chain have to do with your outfit? A lot of guys wear chains for different reasons. ... I have chains with my mom's name and my kids' name. I don't think it's right for people to say that I can't wear that. I think they went way overboard with it."

Iverson said there's little he can do about the dress code. He said that every player has his own personality and style, and that the NBA is taking that away.

Carson said he has heard that argument from some parents as well, and he understands that point of view.

"Iverson is absolutely correct when he says clothes don't make the person, that it comes from inside," Carson said. "But there's also a perception of what it is to be a professional, and dressing appropriately is a big part of that. At the school level, we're trying to prepare kids for college and beyond, and that includes portraying a certain image."

That's why Iverson and other players opposed to the dress code won't garner a lot of sympathy from the paying public.

"I think by looking professional, you bring a sense of integrity to the sport," said Chris Jones, a Sixers fan and a teacher at Henry B. du Pont Middle School in Hockessin. "I think what Stern is doing is tremendous. He's trying to add a sense of professionalism.

"Basically, it's not Allen Iverson's league. It's David Stern's. Iverson is just a part of it. No matter what he wears, he's still going to be Allen Iverson and his fans are still going to love him."