The Atlanta Hawks set everything up as if Jason Collier were there, carefully hanging his uniform in an empty locker and setting out a chair for him. They plan to do that at every game this year, home or away. But Collier’s absence was painfully obvious Monday when the Hawks lost an NBA pre-season game to the Charlotte Bobcats. The 28-year-old centre died suddenly early Saturday in his home. ‘‘We have his stuff hanging up and I have an armband and put him on my shoes,’’ Hawks forward Al Harrington said, pointing to the RIP JC 40 written on his sneakers, ‘‘but then you look up and he’s not there. So it’s weird and something we’re going to have to deal with. ‘‘No matter what, though, we’re going to do our best to keep him with us this entire year.’’ The Hawks are just beginning the difficult healing process that comes with the loss of a popular teammate. Collier left behind a wife, young daughter and a lifetime of memories for his teammates. ‘‘I don’t think you guys realize sometimes how connected we really are in that locker-room,’’ said Harrington, who has dedicated his season to Collier. ‘‘We are a family. We lost a brother. The only consolation we have is that he left us making sure no one can ever say a bad thing about him, because Jason was such a good person.’’ The seven-foot Collier was a part-time starting centre the last two seasons for Atlanta. He spent three years in Houston, and began his college career at Indiana before transferring to Georgia Tech. Forsyth County Coroner Lauren McDonald III said his office is pulling Collier’s medical records from the Rockets and Hawks and forwarding that information to the pathologist, but foul play is not suspected. Collier’s family has asked that results of his autopsy be kept private until after Wednesday’s funeral. Moments after shootaround ended Monday morning, several players gathered in a circle with the team chaplain, arms interlocked and heads bowed in a prayer for Collier.

DETROIT - Leave the bling at home.

Take off those headphones.

And, for the last time, take off that cap.

That was the message the NBA sent to its players Monday when it officially adopted a minimum dress code that will go into effect Nov. 1, the start of the regular season.

NBA commissioner David Stern briefly stepped into the role of Mr. Mom in an attempt to introduce a cleaner, more presentable image to the league's fans and sponsors.

Players no longer can arrive at or leave games wearing headphones, sunglasses while indoors, T-shirts, shorts, sleeveless shirts or chains, medallions or pendants. They're also forbidden to wear replica or throwback jerseys and baseball caps to postgame news conferences. And if a player doesn't suit up for a game, he must wear a sports coat on the bench.

Most Pistons disagree with the new rule.

"Most people dress according to their culture and their ethnic background," said Dale Davis, a 14-year veteran. "You almost embrace the culture, and now it's taken away. That's tough."

Guard Richard Hamilton said the NBA has marketed throwback jerseys for many years, and only in recent years has it become a fad. Rasheed Wallace is a big fan of them. So is former Pistons coach Larry Brown. Now they can't wear them.

One reporter told Hamilton the NBA stands for No Bling Allowed. Hamilton smirked.

"It's crazy though, every young guy that comes through the NBA, that's the first thing they get is a chain," Hamilton said. "That's going to be kind of different. But you can't control what people wear around their neck."

Sitting at his locker stall, Hamilton was wearing a shiny silver necklace. Will he tuck it in, or leave it at home?

"Are you going to ask players who are married if they're going to tuck in their wedding bands?" he said.

Hamilton also has his own clothing line, RIP City, which sells jerseys, sweatshirts and dress shirts.

Pistons coach Flip Saunders said he hasn't reviewed the entire policy, but he did agree with wearing a suit on the bench, just as coaches do.

"I think the biggest thing is, what the league is trying to do," Saunders said, "is understand that the image_that when we come to the arenas and are at events_there's a lot of people who look at the athletes, young kids, and look at us like we're going to the office. Who knows?"

Guard Carlos Arroyo feels the league went overboard. He said it really doesn't mess with his style - he doesn't wear any jewelry and dresses casual - but he said it does take away from self-expression. Plus, NBA teams are on the road for 41 games, jumping from flight to flight, a time when Arroyo wants to feel comfortable.

"I don't agree with it," Arroyo said. "We are who we are, on and off the court, and people should accept us for who we are."

But the days of strutting down the proverbial catwalk before and after games are coming to an end.

"So you buy nice things and just leave it at home and look at it while you're brushing your teeth and stuff like that?" Hamilton said. "We're here 10 months of the year."

Three Conference USA squads took this approach during the summer, as Marshall, UCF and UTEP each traveled abroad and, according to first-year East Carolina coach Ricky Stokes, the Pirates could be making a trip of their own in the future.

“It's definitely possible as we look ahead and plan ahead because there's no question that there are some advantages to doing that,” Stokes said during the Conference USA Basketball Tipoff on Tuesday.

By rule, programs are allowed to take one trip out of the country every four years for competition against foreign teams. The teams are also permitted to get a jumpstart on the season with 10 days of practice prior to the trip.

Stokes has seen the benefits of a trip firsthand. As an assistant at South Carolina, he traveled with the Gamecocks to Canada prior to last season, a season in which USC eventually won the NIT postseason tournament.

“I think it's great to get some extra practices under your belt and get some extra games under your belt,” Stokes said. “I think it's advantageous also for the kids to jell and build some chemistry. So from that standpoint, it is a great opportunity.”

The trio of C-USA coaches whose teams traveled recently share Stokes' sentiments.

UCF coach Kirk Speraw took his team on a five-game trip through Europe, making stops in Holland, Belgium and France. The team toured historic royal palaces and churches along the way, while also visiting the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre.

“It's a great trip not just from a basketball standpoint, but also just to see a different part of the world,” Speraw said. “A lot of guys will never get that opportunity. They enjoyed it and I think it really helped bring the team together.”

UTEP toured Madrid before playing three games in the Canary Islands. The trip gave the Miner players an early chance to play alongside some of the team's newcomers while also providing a slew of memories for the players.

“I would recommend a trip for other teams because I feel like it's a great bonding experience for the team during the offseason before school starts,” UTEP senior forward John Tofi said. “I also feel that it's good because you get to go explore more things outside of what you experience in your daily life. It helps make you a well-rounded person.”

One of the obstacles that teams face in traveling, however, is the cost. Marshall coach Ron Jirsa, whose squad ventured to the Bahamas during the summer, said he spent countless hours with boosters, raising the necessary funds. UTEP coach Doc Sadler did the same, as his team's trip was financed by the Rebounder's Club – a fundraising arm of UTEP basketball.

“We raised a lot of money for the trip, but it was really well spent,” Jirsa said. “On the court, I think everyone would say that the biggest benefit is the practices and getting into game conditions to see what guys do in those situations. And off the court, we try to promote our players getting to know each other in depth. When you go on a trip like that, you're able to do that.”

Marshall was joined by defending national champion North Carolina and Troy State in the Bahamas.

All the coaches acknowledged that the trips are particularly important for younger teams, and that the games are less about winning and losing than they are about developing an identity on the court.

“We had a couple of kids who were red-shirting a year ago and we felt like it was important for those guys to get some game experience,” Speraw said. “We needed to get out there and have someone step to the forefront from a leadership standpoint because we lost three seniors. That gave them the chance.”

Each coach added that it is a tradition they plan to continue as long as the NCAA permits it. Whether or not the Pirates follow the trend remains to be seen.

Drafted in 1989, the Serbia-Montenegro centre was one of first European stars to make a major impact in the NBA.

He joins Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Hakeem Olajuwon as the only NBA players with 13,000 points, 9,000 rebounds, 3,000 assists and 1,500 blocked shots.

Divac, 37, had back surgery in January, and played in 15 games last season. "I didn't have fun anymore," he admitted.

He had career averages of 11.9 points and 8.3 rebounds in 15 previous seasons - seven with the Lakers, two with Charlotte and six with Sacramento.

"I'm happy," said Divac, sitting next to his wife, Ana. "When I look back, it was a wonderful career. It was a great ride for me."

He helped Yugoslavia to silver medals at the 1988 and 1996 Olympics, and led Serbia-Montenegro to a gold medal at the 2002 World Championships.

"We tried to open the door for other guys," he said.

"When I came in the NBA, it was more a US game. Now you can watch the NBA anywhere in the world."

In his new job, Divac will evaluate European talent, scout on the West Coast and participate in pre-draft meetings.