It was bad enough hearing Latrell Spreewell lamenting that he has to feed his kids, and unless he gets a three million dollar per year pay raise, that was not going to happen. I guess the McDonalds Dollar Menu is a lot more expensive in Minnesota. Then there was Ron Artest before what Don King labeled the Throwdown In the Palace. The same player, who claimed to be all about winning a championship, was sitting in an interview plugging his label’s newest album. Now the players are complaining about the new dress code.

David Stern and I disagree on many levels, but I have to agree with the man on this idea. When I was watching the post-game press conferences last season I kept noticing a burning sensation in my retinas. I deduced that it was coming from all of the shiny bling the players were wearing while conducting the interviews. No need to worry now, as Mr. Stern said that kind of stuff has got to go.

Then there were always those backstage shots of players walking into the arena, headphones blasting, head bobbing, and them pretending not to see those fans waving hello or asking for an autograph. Thanks to Mr. Stern, the players might have to actually acknowledge those who pay for the multi-million dollar salary, since they cannot have their pregame music blasting on their mp3 player.

Lastly, and finally, there is a rule regarding player attire. Suits and ties are required, and sneaks are only allowed on the court. Wait a second, you mean these self-proclaimed grown men, are actually going to have to dress like grown men going to work? Thank you Mr. Stern for actually taking the initiative to mandate class amongst your league participants!

The players’ major complaint has been the necessity of a dress code. Granted, half of the players already wore suits, but what about the other half who either dressed like a rancher comin’ in for supper, or someone who looks like he just stepped off 50 Cent’s newest rap video? The players need to realize that fans and sponsors pay for those multi-million dollar salaries, and to keep that kind of money coming in, you’re going to have sacrifice. On the court, basketball is just a game. But off the court, the NBA is a business, and its employees need to start acting and dressing like it’s a job.