“I don’t see it happening unless every NBA player is given a stipend to buy clothes,” Denver center Marcus Camby said when word of the proposed dress code surfaced last week.

I’m not sure where Camby shops, but last year he signed a six-year contract with the Nuggets that pays him some $45 million, more if you include incentives. In most places that should be enough for a couple of decent shirts, some shoes and even few pair of dress jeans for the road.

Then again, Latrell Sprewell had trouble feeding his family on $14.6 million a year so perhaps times are tougher in the NBA than first realized.

“Maybe if you earn less than eight million dollars you’ll get a scholarship from the commissioner,” Stern joked Tuesday.

Other players, though, seemed to understand what Stern is trying to do.

“If they’re trying to change the image of league, that’s cool,” Suns forward Shawn Marion said.

Stern isn’t just doing it with clothes. He announced a new program Tuesday called “NBA Cares” that promises to raise $100 million for charity, donate 1 million hours of service and build 100 places for kids to learn and play over the next five years.

Give the commissioner some credit. He seems to realize now that the hip-hop crowd isn’t big enough to pay the bills and that the league’s thug image is in bad need of repair.

So, beginning Nov. 1, the NBA will have a new look, at least off the court. It’s the first move to keep the league in the mainstream of sports.

Who knows, some day they may even begin enforcing the traveling violation again.

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