From dress codes to equality, Phil Jackson is exactly who we thought he was

The former Bulls coach didn't like how NBA players dressed 20 years ago. And now he objects to them making basic requests for humanity

I remember the NBA labor negotiations of 2005, during which I was on the players' union executive committee. The talks took place in the aftermath of the Malice at the Palace, and commissioner David Stern and the league were in full crisis mode. They wanted to introduce a dress code, a much-maligned policy whose tacit aim was to make Black players less threatening to the white season-ticket holders and TV viewers who drove much of the league's revenue.

I had worn my clothes baggy since high school. That was just my style. Phil Jackson, who had won six titles with Michael Jordan as head coach of the Chicago Bulls and three more with the Los Angeles Lakers, had a different opinion though.

Etan Thomas played in the NBA from 2000 through 2011. He is a published poet, activist and motivational speaker