By CELESTE E. WHITTAKER
Cherry Hill (NJ) Courier-Post Staff
PHILADELPHIA - Sixers guard Allen Iverson is his own person.
He certainly has his own thoughts, his own way of doing things and his own style from his cornrowed hair, to his multiple tattoos, to the way he dresses.
And that is Iverson's biggest problem with the league's new dress code, which will take effect on Nov. 1, the start of the regular season.
Essentially, Iverson thinks the new dress code stifles a player's individuality.
In short, the dress code states that players must dress in "business casual" attire whenever they participate in team or league activities, which includes arriving at and leaving games. Items such as shorts, T-shirts, sleeveless shirts, sunglasses (while indoors) and headphones during team or league business are banned. Chains and necklaces can't be visible over the clothes.
Players on the bench not in uniform must wear sports jackets, shoes and socks. Jeans are still allowed.
"Like I said, I just think it's wrong, I think it's unfair," Iverson said following Wednesday's practice. "Actually, I don't think it's good for the league. I really don't, because it kind of makes it fake, the whole thing is fake. You've got all these guys with these personalities and different games. Tracy McGrady is different from Kobe (Bryant). Kevin Garnett is different from Tim Duncan, and I'm different from those guys. That's what makes the league what it is. Everybody has their own personality, everybody has their own style. I just think that's unfair when you take that away from people.
"Basically, you're saying, "Don't dress hip hop.' What does a chain have to do with your outfit? A lot of guys wear chains for personal reasons. I have a chain with my mom's name on it, my kids' names on it, a chain with my man that passed away on it. I don't think that's right for people to say that I can't wear that and I can't express it. It's just not right. I think they went way overboard with it."
That being said, Iverson said he thinks he will adhere to the policy, particularly once suspensions possibly could come into play.
"I don't want them to take my money, either," said Iverson, whose team faces the Cleveland Cavaliers at Sovereign Bank Arena in Trenton at 7 tonight in an exhibition contest. "I don't want to just give my money away. When they start talking about suspending me and hurting what we're trying to do here as a basketball team, then I don't have no choice but to abide by it."
Sixers guard John Salmons isn't fond of the new policy either. Salmons often wore baggy jeans and T-shirts when he sat out of games last season.
Salmons said it's like "telling people who usually dress up in slacks, shirts, telling them every day they had to come in in jeans, sneakers and T-shirts."
"They're going to say, "Why? I don't dress that way,' " Salmons said. "I understand about trying to clean up the image, just because you put a suit on somebody, it doesn't mean they're that person."
Sixers president Billy King said his team will comply with the policy. King doesn't think the league is asking that much, and said the rule is not about Iverson, although he feels the media has made it seem that way.
"This rule was not made for Allen Iverson," King said. "This rule was made for 400 and some odd players in the NBA. If the speed limit says 65 and you go 70, you're testing it, you get caught, and you get a ticket. There's rules in life. People test them and penalties come with it. I think everybody's making it about Allen.
"There's been other guys that are dressed a certain way that have been more adamant about it as well. I think being in Philadelphia, people look at Allen and say, "Well, he can't do this or do that.' He can wear his dress shoes and a nice shirt and he's fine."
Iverson wore a suit last season to a playoff game in Detroit, and figures that was the only time he wore a suit jacket last season.
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