The NBA's decision to fine players for violating the
league's dress code on the length of their shorts left the
fashion community "dumbfounded," according to Elena Romero
of DNR magazine. The decision "has become the talk of
those who make their living in the active apparel business."
Izzy Ezrailson, co-Owner of Washington, DC's Up Against The
Wall store said, "Thank you NBA for providing product
interest to shorts. The [fines are] more than an effective
marketing campaign." Ralph McDaniels, co-Owner of Uncle
Ralph's Urban Gear in Brooklyn, NY, said that the style of
longer shorts is "definitely coming from the streets -- with
the whole baggy jeans trend." McDaniels: "All of that is
part of hip-hop. ... It's not a safety problem. The NBA is
too sensitive and should be worried about other things, like
drugs." Groovey Lew Jones, Bad Boy Entertainment stylist
and President of Groovey Styles, a men's line: "There's a
new generation who's starting trends from sports to fashion.
... They'd rather take the fine just to be comfortable
because that affects their style of play" (DNR, 11/24).
HEMS AND HAWS: In Ft. Lauderdale, Ira Winderman asked,
"[D]oesn't the NBA have far greater concerns?" Winderman:
"If [NBA Commissioner David] Stern truly wants to cement his
image as the wisest of sports commissioners, he should step
forward by stepping back. He should cease the crackdown of
a problem that is an NBA invention" (SUN-SENTINEL, 11/23).
In Seattle, Glenn Nelson: "[T]his flap over shorts is going
too far. We understand about the need for uniformity, but
is the NBA truly this out of touch?" (SEATTLE TIMES, 11/23).
PULL UP YOUR PANTS! USA TODAY's Roscoe Nance reports
that the NBA "is considering suspending" Blazers F Rasheed
Wallace for one game and fining the team $1M "for Wallace's
continued violation" of the league's shorts policy. The
league has already fined Wallace once (USA TODAY, 11/26).
