Allen Iverson is sick and tired of these youths. The NBA's dress code, which calls for business or casual attire for players rolling into the arena, is something that should be respected and enforced, according to Iverson, who definitely never had any problem with it whatsoever in the past.
The code has been around since 2005, and Iverson thinks that NBA fashion has gone too far.
"Like I'd wear a do-rag and a hat and some chains, some baggy clothes or whatever," Iverson said at ComplexCon, via 8eyemedia. "And you see these dudes... This s--- that they w--... And to each his own. To each his own. I ain't knocking nobody, I don't want nobody to be taking no shots at me, because I ain't taking... Yes I am. But that's what the dress code's supposed to be implemented now. This is Halloween every night. It's the 31st of October every night."
Et tu, AI?
If you can't handle me at my:
Teammate support!!! pic.twitter.com/TxukPcY5ju
— Daryl Morey (@dmorey) June 26, 2018
Then you don't deserve me at my:
My favorite photo of a NBA player during the baggy era: Allen Iverson! pic.twitter.com/fGTuy3DUpK
— David Astramskas (@redapples) October 16, 2018
Iverson said at the time of the dress code's implementation that it was "not who I am and doesn't allow me to express myself." The NBA has become a bit more synonymous with fashion in the modern era, with primetime marquee match-ups evolving into red carpet walks for players entering the locker room. That tonal shift is likely the biggest difference between Iverson's time in the NBA and now -- not to mention the fact that there wasn't a Malice at the Palace last season.
While it's easy to point and laugh at Iverson's hypocrisy, it's easy to understand his feelings. He thought that the dress code was being used to restrict his impression, saying last year that "I felt like they were targeting people that dressed like me," per Liberty Ballers. This sentiment is inline with what he said at that time, when he said: "They were picking on me, obviously, if they let these guys wear what they wear now."
The NBA's pregame looks have gotten more outrageous, to be sure, but Adam Silver is often lauded for encouraging player expression. It's unlikely that he's going to walk back on that now, especially for something like a pregame dress code.
