ducks
10-21-2005, 01:01 PM
NBA roundup: Barkley says dress code good idea
By Seattle Times news services
Under the new code, Philadelphia 76ers guard Allen Iverson, center, won't be able to dress like this while on NBA business.
Charles Barkley may not want to be your kids' role model, but he could be a role model for NBA players. And not just because he supports the league's new dress code.
Barkley was in Los Angeles on Wednesday for an appearance on NBC's "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno." Years ago, Barkley said parents, not athletes such as himself, should be role models for their kids. But he now at least admits athletes do influence kids.
"Young black kids dress like NBA players," he said. "Unfortunately, they don't get paid like NBA players. So when they go out in the real world, what they wear is held against them.
"See, these players make $10 to $15 million a year, so nobody cares how they dress. But regular black kids go out into the real world and how they dress is held against them.
"If a well-dressed white kid and a black kid wearing a do-rag and throwback jersey came to me in a job interview, I'd hire the white kid," he said. "That's reality. That's the No. 1 reason I support the dress code.
"From the NBA perspective, they've got a product to sell. They've got to make it as attractive as possible to fans, viewers and corporate sponsors.
"Dr. J [Julius Erving] told me years ago that we, the players, are the caretakers of the game. I think too many players today have lost sight of that."
Barkley, a TNT network basketball analyst, concedes there are racial overtones with the new dress code, but points out there is a dress code in every business in the country.
"It's dictated by the boss," he said.
Barkley says young men who are making $10 million a year or more for playing basketball should use their fame and wealth to do some good for society.
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He hears that Marcus Camby of the Denver Nuggets wants a stipend to buy clothes to adhere to the dress code, and Barkley cringes.
"Guys like that have lost perspective," he said. "What's he make, $8 million a year? It's like when Latrell Sprewell said he needed more than $14 million a year so that he could feed his family. Give me a break."
Exhibition games
Cavaliers 106, 76ers 102
LeBron James had another strong game in Trenton, N.J., scoring 30 points to lead Cleveland past Philadelphia.
Allen Iverson scored a game-high 36 points, and Andre Igoudala and John Salmons each had 15 for the 76ers, who led 56-55 at halftime.
Wizards 96, Bobcats 89 (OT)
Gilbert Arenas scored 24 points, Chucky Atkins and Jared Jeffries each had 18 and Washington scored the first nine points of overtime to beat Charlotte at Staples Center in Los Angeles.
Raymond Felton led Charlotte with 12 points and 10 assists, and Emeka Okafor had 13 rebounds and eight points.
Spurs 97, Hornets 90
Manu Ginobili scored 19 points, Tim Duncan added 15 and Beno Udrih 14 as San Antonio beat New Orleans in Bossier City, La., the Hornets' first game in Louisiana since Hurricane Katrina. The defending champion Spurs, losers of their first five exhibition games, held a lead of as many as 26 points.
Maciej Lampe led the Hornets (1-3) with 23 points and Rasual Butler added 12.
Pacers 93, Timberwolves 76
Jermaine O'Neal had 16 points and five rebounds in his exhibition debut, leading Indiana past Minnesota in Billings, Mont. O'Neal had missed the Pacers' first four exhibition games because of a bruised thigh.
Michael Olowakandi led the Timberwolves with 18 points.
Jazz 92, Trail Blazers 73
Andre Kirilenko scored 19 points and Mehmet Okur had 11 points and 10 rebounds to lead Utah over Portland at the University of Oregon.
Rookie Martell Webster, a Seattle Prep product and the sixth overall draft pick, scored 11 points to lead the Trail Blazers.
Nuggets 105, Lakers 94
Carmelo Anthony had 26 points, eight rebounds and six assists, and Kenyon Martin added 16 points to lead Denver over host Los Angeles. Kwame Brown led Los Angeles with 16 points on 7-for-8 shooting.
Notes
• The NBA is considering a league-wide standard for physical exams following the death of Atlanta Hawks center Jason Collier.
• Hall of Famer Magic Johnson, 46, signed a multiyear extension with TNT to remain on the network's "Inside the NBA" studio show.
• Former Phoenix owner Jerry Colangelo will step down as chairman of the NBA's board of governors next week, a move Colangelo asked for because he felt it was time to give someone else a chance at the job.
Copyright © 2005 The Seattle Times Company
By Seattle Times news services
Under the new code, Philadelphia 76ers guard Allen Iverson, center, won't be able to dress like this while on NBA business.
Charles Barkley may not want to be your kids' role model, but he could be a role model for NBA players. And not just because he supports the league's new dress code.
Barkley was in Los Angeles on Wednesday for an appearance on NBC's "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno." Years ago, Barkley said parents, not athletes such as himself, should be role models for their kids. But he now at least admits athletes do influence kids.
"Young black kids dress like NBA players," he said. "Unfortunately, they don't get paid like NBA players. So when they go out in the real world, what they wear is held against them.
"See, these players make $10 to $15 million a year, so nobody cares how they dress. But regular black kids go out into the real world and how they dress is held against them.
"If a well-dressed white kid and a black kid wearing a do-rag and throwback jersey came to me in a job interview, I'd hire the white kid," he said. "That's reality. That's the No. 1 reason I support the dress code.
"From the NBA perspective, they've got a product to sell. They've got to make it as attractive as possible to fans, viewers and corporate sponsors.
"Dr. J [Julius Erving] told me years ago that we, the players, are the caretakers of the game. I think too many players today have lost sight of that."
Barkley, a TNT network basketball analyst, concedes there are racial overtones with the new dress code, but points out there is a dress code in every business in the country.
"It's dictated by the boss," he said.
Barkley says young men who are making $10 million a year or more for playing basketball should use their fame and wealth to do some good for society.
advertising
He hears that Marcus Camby of the Denver Nuggets wants a stipend to buy clothes to adhere to the dress code, and Barkley cringes.
"Guys like that have lost perspective," he said. "What's he make, $8 million a year? It's like when Latrell Sprewell said he needed more than $14 million a year so that he could feed his family. Give me a break."
Exhibition games
Cavaliers 106, 76ers 102
LeBron James had another strong game in Trenton, N.J., scoring 30 points to lead Cleveland past Philadelphia.
Allen Iverson scored a game-high 36 points, and Andre Igoudala and John Salmons each had 15 for the 76ers, who led 56-55 at halftime.
Wizards 96, Bobcats 89 (OT)
Gilbert Arenas scored 24 points, Chucky Atkins and Jared Jeffries each had 18 and Washington scored the first nine points of overtime to beat Charlotte at Staples Center in Los Angeles.
Raymond Felton led Charlotte with 12 points and 10 assists, and Emeka Okafor had 13 rebounds and eight points.
Spurs 97, Hornets 90
Manu Ginobili scored 19 points, Tim Duncan added 15 and Beno Udrih 14 as San Antonio beat New Orleans in Bossier City, La., the Hornets' first game in Louisiana since Hurricane Katrina. The defending champion Spurs, losers of their first five exhibition games, held a lead of as many as 26 points.
Maciej Lampe led the Hornets (1-3) with 23 points and Rasual Butler added 12.
Pacers 93, Timberwolves 76
Jermaine O'Neal had 16 points and five rebounds in his exhibition debut, leading Indiana past Minnesota in Billings, Mont. O'Neal had missed the Pacers' first four exhibition games because of a bruised thigh.
Michael Olowakandi led the Timberwolves with 18 points.
Jazz 92, Trail Blazers 73
Andre Kirilenko scored 19 points and Mehmet Okur had 11 points and 10 rebounds to lead Utah over Portland at the University of Oregon.
Rookie Martell Webster, a Seattle Prep product and the sixth overall draft pick, scored 11 points to lead the Trail Blazers.
Nuggets 105, Lakers 94
Carmelo Anthony had 26 points, eight rebounds and six assists, and Kenyon Martin added 16 points to lead Denver over host Los Angeles. Kwame Brown led Los Angeles with 16 points on 7-for-8 shooting.
Notes
• The NBA is considering a league-wide standard for physical exams following the death of Atlanta Hawks center Jason Collier.
• Hall of Famer Magic Johnson, 46, signed a multiyear extension with TNT to remain on the network's "Inside the NBA" studio show.
• Former Phoenix owner Jerry Colangelo will step down as chairman of the NBA's board of governors next week, a move Colangelo asked for because he felt it was time to give someone else a chance at the job.
Copyright © 2005 The Seattle Times Company