The NBA Forces a Fit Check

October 17, 2005. The NBA is going through massive changes. Michael Jordan is retired (again), and the league is getting younger. Stars like Allen Iverson represent the rise of hip-hop culture, which David Stern blames for the league’s dwindling viewership. His solution? Today, Stern enacts a dress code, including collared shirts and sports coats – an unprecedented rule in American sports history.What provokes Stern to make this move? How does the league react? And despite the initial outrage and backlash, how do the players eventually win this fight?Special thanks to our guests: Dave Zarum, author of NBA 75: The Definitive History; Jordan Ligons, NBA and WNBA writer and co-host of the Spinsters basketball podcast; Kesha McLeod, personal stylist to the stars, including Serena Williams, PJ Tucker, Chris Bosh, and Giannis Antekounmpo; and Dr. Todd Boyd, Professor of Cinema and Media Studies at the USC School of Cinematic Arts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.