Allen Iverson changed the game in more ways than one. Iverson came into the league as a massive prospect, someone that was expected to become one of the greatest ever. He lived up to a lot of his hype, becoming MVP of the league and leading the league in scoring 4 other times. AI knew how to put the ball into the basket, but perhaps the greatest impact he had on the game was off the court.
The NBA of the 90s was a tight-knit community with expectations and unspoken rules. Players were expected to present themselves in a certain way, with marketing being a huge part of what made the NBA as big as it became.
But when Allen Iverson came in acting like himself and dressing outside the acceptable norm, it created quite a bit of backlash. And with style subsequently becoming a huge part of the league’s culture, it can be said that Iverson was the reason it turned out this way. And it wasn’t easy, with David Stern once calling him in to chew him out about his rap album, for example.
Allen Iverson Said He Was The Reason The NBA’s Dress Code Changed
Allen Iverson would wear baggy tracksuits and chains and show off his tattoos, exhibiting a whole lot of individual styles that many did not consider acceptable. And that made David Stern institute a dress code, which was wildly unpopular, with Iverson telling the story of ‘Cold As B*lls’ with Kevin Hart.
(starts at 3:27 minutes)
“For these guys to be themselves, to look how they want to look. You know, the only time I’ve ever known about wearing suits was going to church or going to a funeral. I never wore no suit to the basketball court. But I just felt like, after the game, I’m going to Fridays and I’m going to the club. I mean, where am I going after the game with a suit on?
“The only reason I felt like the dress code came in was because once they saw I was coming in wearing what I wanted to wear and I was getting away with it. And other guys was like, ‘Well sh*t, if he can do it then I can do it too.’ And that’s when everybody in the league started doing it. And that’s when David Stern said no. God rest his soul, but that’s when he said no.”
What Allen Iverson meant to the NBA simply cannot be measured by words or by numbers. His impact off the court has led to players today truly pushing the boundaries of fashion. And the rule changes were simply a part of it. Once AI decided he was going to be himself, it inspired everyone to do the same.
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