In response to Camby’s suggestion that the National Basketball Association provide players with a clothing stipend (so that players may be able to conform to the newly instituted dress code), NBA sideline reporter Craig Sager has offered to clothe NBA superstars with selections from The Craig Sager Collection, a hot new line of dress suits and ties envisioned and designed by Sager in conjunction with the Men’s Warehouse chain of clothing stores.

“I heard Marcus’ plea,” says Sager, “and I wanted to help. It’s a shame that the NBA is forcing these fantastic athletes to subsume their individuality and sense of style in order to conform to this new fashion edict. And I know how expensive Sean John suits can be. This is why I want to offer players the shirt, tie, and jacket off my back, free of charge. And this is just the beginning. The lengths I’ll go to dress the world’s finest sports stars are nothing compared to the lengths I’ll go for the guy on the street. It’s my motto, my pledge, my promise, and my word.”

Such a bold move is nothing new for Sager. His collection epitomizes the sense of daring and panache that has typified Sager’s individualized look since he gained national prominence as the go-to sideline reporter for TNT’s NBA broadcasts. Around watercoolers and coffee kiosks across America, people talk about what Sager wore just as much as that great pass or dunk. “I wanted to stand out,” says Sager about his choice in couture. “I didn’t just want to be another talking head telling people about the amount of Ben Gay in Hot Plate William’s jock, or how many times Robert Parish turned his ankle. I wanted to be as memorable as the athletes I reported on. And I want everyone to feel that memorable.”

George Zimmer, president of the Men’s Wearhouse, is excited about this opportunity. “I’ve envied Craig’s eye for what works ever since I saw him on TV wearing a peach colored suit, powder blue shirt, and a tie that looked like Jerry Garcia’s worst acid trip. He pulled it off because he wanted to pull it off, and that sort of innate charisma is in every piece of Craig’s clothing. When he approached us with a chance to be the one-stop-shop for his line, I jumped up and put the ball through the cylinder. NBA players, and the regular joes, are gonna like the way they look – Craig guarantees it.”

Sager’s appeal doesn’t just stop on the basketball court. Other sports personalities have fallen under Craig’s siren song of style. “When I heard my buddy, Craig ‘Night Moves’ Sager was entering the fashion world, I told him to sign me up,” says ESPN newsanchor and broadcaster Chris Berman. “Craig’s boldness and in-your-faceness is a perfect match for the Schwam. I’ve seen his plum three-piece, and lemme tell you, it puts the 15 plum three-pieces I already own to shame. Once you buy one of his suits, you’ll be going back back back for more!”

A selection of these spectacular Sager fashions will be shown this Fall in New York. Part of Couture Fashion Week, produced by USA International Fashion Shows. The runway presentation will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, November 25, at Applebee’s Neighborhood Bar & Grill, 2655 Richmond Street, in Staten Island, NY.

Sager’s hottness cannot be denied. In addition to this unprecedented comet-like entry into the stratosphere of high fashion, Sager has been tapped to redesign the warm-up suits for all National Basketball Development League franchises. “A striking new league,” says NBDL President Phillip Evans, “deserves a striking new look, and there’s no one better I can think of to pull this off than Craig Sager.”

“I think, as great as the players are in today’s game,” says Sager, “in terms of fashion, there’s still a long way to go. If history looks back on Craig Sager as the Bob Mackie to the National Basketball Association’s Cher, then it’ll all be worth it. Each NBA superstar, each person, is like a diamond in the rough. All they need is a bit of polish to realize their dazzling potential. And I’ve got just the chamois to make them shine.”