And They're Off! The 2005-2006 Season Begins...

It was an happy day in June when the San Antonio Spurs beat out the Detroit Pistons to run away with the 2004-2005 NBA Championships. There's no doubt they deserved it though...Tim Duncan, Tony Parker et al. played their hearts out and walked away with a convincing victory, and a big, flashy ring to add to their jewellery collections.

But that, as the saying goes, is ancient history. Welcome to the new season. We're talking new rookies, missing faces, and yes, the much-debated NBA dress-code.

Ahh the dress code. Hate it or love it, it's here to stay. Some players have voiced concerns that they shouldn't have to worry about how they dress off-court...it's all about the game, right? As far as I'm concerned, the being a player in the NBA is a job just like any other, to which a certain code must be adhered to. Is it really too much to ask that when you're at a news conference for a game you just won, that you wear dress slacks and a nice shirt? We all know you're partial to your casual-tees-and-big-bling uniforms, but come on, show a little professionalism! It's not like you're being asked to wear a three-piece business suit when you go out cruising.

My theory is that these players are the ones that are slightly - how can I put this in a politically correct manner - fashion adverse. I mean, *shock*horror* how are they supposed to color co-ordinate shoes, slacks AND shirts?! My advice: spend a little bit of that horded-up multi-million dollar salary and hire a personal shopper/wardrobe assistant type person. Then again, it's not like you're vying for a place in GQ (you'd have a lot to contend with - see Tony Parker's recent GQ cover).

On to the actual game.
The season's just started, but it looks like it's going to be a good one. But then again, the Clippers, yes you read that right, THE CLIPPERS are in first place in the Western Conference, and I don't know how good a sign that is. The Clippers. Over the Spurs, the Mavs and the rest of the Western Conference teams...how is that possible?! Let's just pretend it's a lucky streak...the true abilities will soon be shown - I highly doubt that the Clips will be able to hang on to their no.1 place for long. That said, I'm not being a Clips-basher! I'm just calling it like I see it.

Official table of standings from the NBA website: http://www.nba.com/standings/team_record_comparison/conferenceNew_Std_Cnf.html

Enjoy the season, check back here soon for more random commentary! :)
-Gayatri.