This off-season, David Stern passed down a new conduct rule which included tweaking technical fouls and increasing the fines associated with them.
As little as five years ago “Too” Stern created the dress code, which requires players to dress “professionally” when going to work at NBA arenas. Done were the days of chains, sweats and other “hood” clothing as Stern realized his league filled with young and wealthy black athletes is being sold to middle-aged white men. The perception of NBA player (certainly every Denver “Thugget”) being a “thug” was persisting in the post “Malice-in-the-Palace” incident (in which Ron Artest rushed the crowd and beat on a fan).
And while this new ruling doesn’t carry with it the harsh and evident complexities of race dynamics, (as the dress code did) players are just as upset with the new crack down on complaining.
“Punching the air” and other gestures like laughing off a perceived bad call will no longer be tolerated by the NBA officials or the little man who sits atop the NBA empire with his crown glistening.
Fin ...
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Article written by Rich Kurtzman
David “Too” Stern Correctly Cracks Down on Complaining in NBA
October 15th, 2010 by Rich Kurtzman Leave a reply »
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