From Deseret News archives:
'Big O' no fan of NBA dress code
Could happen.
The Jazz center is among a growing list of NBA players expressing displeasure with a new dress code reportedly being considered by the league. The proposed "business casual" policy purportedly calls for players to wear slacks and sport coats — no jeans "when attending public team functions, traveling on charter flights and entering and exiting arenas on game nights.
"I don't mind if they clean it up a little bit," Ostertag said. "But . . . they can go without them (expletive deleted) sport coats."
If coats are required, Ostertag added, "They're going to get the worst-looking one they've ever seen on me. . . . I'll go buy one off a guy on the street."
Ostertag, a 7-foot-2 native Texan who prefers boots and blue jeans, does concede that some players can upgrade their attire.
"No ratty T-shirt, and if you're going to wear jeans (then) wear a collared shirt. You know — look decent," he said. "Even if they want to go to a pair of slacks and a collared shirt, I wouldn't mind doing that. But that coat . . . no."
Philadelphia 76ers star Allen Iverson and Atlanta's Josh Childress also have expressed unhappiness with NBA commissioner David Stern's pending policy, which supposedly will be backed by monetary fines from the league's fashion police.
Jazz coach Jerry Sloan, though, backs a clothing crackdown.
"If you don't like this business, you can always go work somewhere else," Sloan said, adding, "We've got to try to sell this league any way we can, if it's a positive."
Such a change, Sloan suggested, is no different than any other rules alteration: "It's like illegal defense — you have to make adjustments."
But Ostertag, who doesn't even own a sport coat, wants his union to fight a code that is not tailored to his liking.
"If there's anything I'd like the Players Association to step up for," he said, "it would be that."
EASY GOING: Speaking of rules, Sloan does not seem particularly fond of one that permits contact practices during only one session of training-camp two-a-days.
"It used to be you could have two really hard practices a day, where you knocked heads pretty good," he said. "This is a bit different."
ROOKIES IMPRESS: Since media members have been banned from watching workouts so far during camp, it's tough to tell how 2005 draft choices Deron Williams, C.J. Miles and Robert Whaley really are faring.
But Sloan suggested he's happy with at least one facet of the youngsters' performance.
