The NBA has a dress code problem, at least according to some big names in basketball circles. For the last few years, both players and coaches have come under fire for looking a little too casual when showing up for gameday. Isiah Thomas famously called out LeBron James for shooting around shirtless in a beanie. Now, the conversation is ramping up again.
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That’s because retired star Gilbert Arenas addressed head coaches returning to suits on the latest edition of his stream. “Y’all look like the ******* sitting right next to y’all. I like when a coach is sweating it out in a suit. You know that ****** did some yelling that day,” stated Gil on a stream.
It’s not a bad point. The look of a coach in a suit did command respect. And it’s not just Gil who is saying this. Richard Jefferson and Channing Frye discussed Arenas’ comments on their recent episode of Road Trippin after host Allie Clifton brought the topic up.
“I love it,” began Jefferson to start things off. Frye immediately agreed. “Hell yeah I like coaches in suits. It looks professional. Let them wear sneakers, but throw a suit on,” said Channing.
Suits seemed to disappear entirely when the NBA entered the famed bubble during the 2020 season amid the COVID-19 outbreak. But RJ doesn’t blame the virus. He believes the league has lost some of its allure by failing to enforce a stricter dress code.
“The NBA, there is a certain level of pageantry that we lost. That’s why we like the in-season tournament. It establishes that things are different,” Jefferson added.
Again, RJ was right on the money. Under current Commissioner Adam Silver, the Finals and All-Star weekend have become so ordinary. It doesn’t feel like the best ballers in the world are surrounding you. It feels like a Saturday at the local Y.
And while it is harder for coaches to have to maintain wearing suits, especially when they go on lengthy road trips, it is something the NBA should consider. “Getting rid of the suits, it makes it look more casual,” added Jefferson. “It does. There’s a reason they implemented a dress code with players because we looked too casual coming into work. Players took it and said, ‘We’ll make it a fashion thing.'”
At the end of the day, this isn’t about nostalgia or forcing anyone back into uncomfortable tradition. It’s about presentation. The NBA sells itself as the pinnacle of basketball, and how it looks matters just as much as how it plays.
When coaches look like they’re headed to a pickup run instead of an NBA game, some of that mystique disappears. Bringing back suits wouldn’t fix everything, but it would be a simple step toward restoring the sense that this stage is different, bigger, and worth dressing up for.
If the league wants to reclaim that lost pageantry, it could start by tightening the tie. Maybe start small and enforce it just for the playoffs, when those games are nationally televised. Either way, change can be good, but sticking to what works is even better.
