There was a time when NBA head coaches would wear suits on the bench, and players would show up to the arena dressed like they were going into the office.
Those days are long gone.
Most coaches now wear some kind of sweat suit or performance apparel on the bench, while players are mostly free to wear whatever they want going to and from the arena. ESPN's Stephen A. Smith doesn't like it.
Following the Lakers' ceremony that honored former head coach Pat Riley on Sunday, Smith is calling out LeBron James. Riley was known for wearing iconic, courtside suits during his coaching career.
Feb 13, 2022; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Lebron James attend the game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium. Kirby Lee-Imagn Images.
Smith wants to see LeBron James, the most popular player in the NBA, leading the way when it comes to the dress code.
He hasn't been a fan of his style.
LeBron James' dress code gets called out
Smith bluntly called out LeBron.
"I'm walking in like I'm the best dressed dude in the arena," Smith said of when cameras film him walking from the tunnel to the court of an NBA game. "That's what I was walking in like! I said the players needed to take notes, and now here we are this year, and I'm still telling the players they need to take notes. All that (expletive) money LeBron and them making, you can't dress better than that? I'm so happy Pat Riley brought that up."
Smith wants to see LeBron and others in the league dressing better.
"He letting everybody know there should be a dress code, at least for the coaches," Smith said in support of Riley. "You (expletive) right! All this money y'all make, dressing like y'all shopping at Target or something. They need to get it together. They need to upgrade their wardrobe. Yes, they do."
Do NBA players need to change?
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