OAKLAND, Calif. (Oct. 20) - Jason Richardson wants to keep wearing his gold chains, and the Golden State Warriors guard believes the NBA's new dress code takes aim at black players in the league.

He's calling for the players' association to fight the new wardrobe rules announced this week that will go into effect when the season kicks off next month.

"They want to sway away from the hip-hop generation," Richardson said Wednesday night, before the Warriors beat the Phoenix Suns in a preseason game. "You think of hip-hop right now and think of things that happen like gangs having shootouts in front of radio stations."

Richardson, who describes his style as "different" and says he won't be caught as a "copy cat," left the Oakland Arena wearing a camouflage zip-up sweatshirt, a long necklace with a diamond-encrusted triangle at the end, and a beige cap slightly tilted to one side.

"One thing to me that was kind of racist was you can't wear chains outside your clothing," he said. "I don't understand what that has to do with being business approachable. ... You wear a suit you still could be a crook. You see all that happened with Enron and Martha Stewart. Just because you dress a certain way doesn't mean you're that way. Hey, a guy could come in with baggy jeans, a do-rag and have a Ph.D. and a person who comes in with a suit could be a three-time felon."

Players will be required to wear business-casual attire when involved in team or league business. They can't wear visible chains, pendants or medallions over their clothes.

Some players already acknowledge they probably will face fines for breaking the rules on occasion.

"I feel like if they want us to dress a certain way, they should pay for our clothes," said Philadelphia's Allen Iverson. "It's just tough, man, knowing that all of a sudden you have to have a dress code out of nowhere. I don't think that's going to help the image of the league at all. ... It kind of makes it fake. The whole thing is fake."

The NBA announced Monday in a memo to teams that a dress code will go into effect at the start of the season. Saying players must dress in "business casual" attire, the league banned items such as sleeveless shirts, shorts, sunglasses while indoors, and headphones during team or league business.

The edict also requires players on the bench not in uniform to wear sport jackets, shoes and socks. Richardson doesn't object to that part of the rule.

Warriors coach Mike Montgomery believes players should look "like a member of a basketball team" while on the bench.

"The other area is certainly an area for debate," Montgomery said. "We'll just have to see it plays out. I understand both sides of the argument."

Indiana guard Stephen Jackson, who like Richardson is black, agrees that the policy is trying to keep players from expressing their hip-hop style. Celtics guard Paul Pierce also shares that sentiment.

"I dress how I feel anyway," Pierce said Wednesday night in Boston. "I think I'm just going to continue to dress how I feel. I think there's some days I may take a fine."

In protest of the policy, Jackson wore four chains to the Pacers' exhibition game against San Antonio on Tuesday night. Jackson defended his actions Wednesday, but said he won't allow his feelings to cause a distraction once the regular season starts.

"They don't want your chains to be out, all gaudy and shiny. But that's the point of them," he said. "I love wearing my jewelry. But I love my job. I love playing basketball more than I love getting fined and getting suspended."

Richardson has always liked to express himself with his funky attire. Now, he knows he will be wearing his suits much more often _ noting "I've got a nice collection of suits."

He doesn't mind the league mandate for "cleaning up" the bench, but believes a large number of players make their way to and from their cars out of the public view, so they should be able to wear what they want in those cases.

"You're expressing yourself, expressing your identity. It's taking away our self expression. I like to dress and change it up," Richardson said. "Some of them have religious meanings behind their chains, others have personal messages behind their chains. Some guys just like to wear them. I think that was an indirectly racial."

Associated Press Writer Cliff Brunt in Indianapolis and AP Sports Writer Dan Gelston in Philadelphia contributed to this report.


10/20/2005 05:465

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I don't think it's racist, I think it just so happens that the majority (don't know actual numbers... I think it's a safe guess) of NBA players are black.

I do think it's pretty lame though. Not to mention a lot of these guys have contracts with clothing and shoe companies where they're paid to wear this stuff. If they're only allowed to wear the new style nike's (or whatever) at things that aren't 'NBA business' functions... my guess is that's not the exposure nike (or whatever brand) is looking for.

He needs to STFU and GBTW.

The NBA decided it wasnt to be portrayed a certain way by its players dress habits on the court and during meetings or whatever, thats thier right. These big crybabies can go back to playing street hoops and leave thier million dollar contracts behind and wear all the gold chains if they really want to.

I don't think a dress code is going to stop a fist fight in the stands. And thats what the NBA needs to focus on first if they want to improve their image.

Well I think its just common sense for the players not to wear long rope chains that can whip arond and put an eye out while the game is going on.

wait...what?

Its not like they want them to wear stuff on thier private time, just to dress a certain way during team events.. I mean how is that too much to ask for for these guys? They do that in th business world all the time. They forced me to wear a tie yesterday for some lame ass meeting.

i don't see a problem with it either really.

Ha. I think it's fantastic. Business casual isn't a horrible style of dress. I wear it every day. And nobody said they can't wear the products they endorse. I think the regulations are more like standards of good taste.

Religious meaning behind the chains? Give me a break. A thick, platinum chain with a spinning dollar sign is hardly a symbol of God. A tasteful chain with a cross shows your faith as soundly (if not more so) than a huge, diamond-encrusted one.

They can't wear any products they're endorsing during team events. Well... unless they start endorsing sports jackets and the like. heh...