The walk from the parking garage to the locker room was once just a walk. Now, that underground march has turned into an NBA runway as photographers linger, waiting to snap a shot of the League’s best dressed.
Images of your favorite players wearing anything from Gucci loafers to Saint Laurent jeans to Givenchy shirts and all of the latest in fashion start circling the web, well before they step foot on the court.
Magazines like GQ are illuminating high-fashion profiles like Kings rookie De’Aaron Fox. The style mag highlighted Fox’s ability to take “athleisure” to the next level.
In 2017, the NBA hosted its first-ever post-season awards competition. Iman Shumpert, who was recently acquired by the Kings, was in the running for the NBA Style Award, going against longtime fashionistas Russell Westbrook and Dwyane Wade. It “isn't just that they dress well—it's that they dress well and do it loudly,” said GQ style writer Cam Wolf.
Although he didn’t win the award, Vogue magazine described Shumpert as “New York Fashion Week’s biggest risk taker.”
“When I was growing up I didn’t really have a lot of different things I could wear,” said Shumpert in a recent interview. “As I got older, the more I could look different on an everyday basis the better.”
A few Kings players are leading this NBA style revolution by creating their own labels like Shump’s ‘Post 90’ and Willie Cauley-Stein’s ‘Will Change Sports’. Willie recently launched his debut look book just weeks ago. He has also designed custom Kings hats with Mitchell & Ness and exclusive watches with Modify. Willie describes his style in the literally meaning of his nickname ‘Trill’, “authentic to its purest form.”
Style is evolving, the league is progressing and we are now in an era where players can express themselves through their personal style. Players are no longer only targeted and sponsored by athletic companies like Nike, Adidas or Reebok. They are creating their own brands, rocking the latest style trends, and drawing more attention from fashion labels in places like New York City and Paris.
As veteran power forward Zach Randolph said, “I like how the league is changing and guys can have their own style.”
So, for the fashion obsessed readers, Willie Cauley-Stein offers this: “Do what you want and wear what you want. That’s when people go crazy, when people tell you what to wear, but wear what you want and rock it.”