While gameday dress codes for NBA teams have been getting more relaxed in recent years, Detroit Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff is getting more strict about what his players wear in practice. Bickerstaff has prohibited the Pistons from wearing their hoodies up during practice, according to The Athletic.
While many teams allow players to wear their hoods up while going through practice, Bickerstaff says he wants to instill an “old school” mentality in the team. Since players won’t have their hoodies on during games, Bickerstaff doesn’t want to see them up during practice.
“Just the last shred of that old-school mentality,” Bickerstaff said. “Just growing up with my dad, you don’t wear anything on your head during the game. You don’t wear jewelry. You practice how you play.”
While it’s a change for the players, Pistons star Cade Cunningham says he understands Bickerstaff’s new policy.
“You know, in school classrooms a lot of times, teachers say, ‘Take your hood off,’” Cunningham said. “So it’s all the same thing. It’s just about being professional and being ready to play.”
This practice dress code is just a small way in which Bickerstaff is trying to change the culture for a Pistons team that finished dead last in back-to-back seasons, including losing a league-record 28 straight games last year. The question now is whether it helps Detroit take tangible steps forward on the court during games.
