If you’re a longtime NBA fan of a certain age, you may occasionally wince when you peruse rosters and notice that there are now a multitude of players in the league who were born in 2000 or later. For example, the New Orleans Pelicans have four members of that group.
Want to feel really old, though? Talk to guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker about his collection of “throwback” sports gear, including a wide array of snapback hats and T-shirts. Born 15 months before Y2K, Alexander-Walker describes his 1990s memorabilia by using the word “vintage.” Gasp.
“I love vintage clothing,” said the Toronto native, who has enjoyed wearing NASCAR, NFL, NBA and pro wrestling gear from the decade of the X-Files and grunge music. “I think it’s really cool. It was something I got into the summer I got drafted. I love (owning) the original (item). They tell their own story.”
Alexander-Walker’s hobby of wearing 1990s memorabilia gained a major boost two years ago when he perused a unique clothing store near his hometown in Canada. Located in Whitby, Ontario, Vintage 905 has supplied the third-year pro with many of his favorite items.
“Those guys help me out with everything,” Alexander-Walker said. “They’d get me boxes and boxes and boxes of shirts at a time. They’re really good at what they do and can find almost anything.
“I shopped there once and they were gracious enough to stay open for me. I was mind-blown by how much stuff they had.”
Sure, Alexander-Walker may not have watched pro wrestler Brett Hart compete in the WWE before Hart retired in 2000. But that’s not going to stop the 23-year-old from wearing a T-shirt featuring “The Hitman” as he enters an arena near you this season.