The National Basketball League (NBA) has about 450 active players, but only a select few of them ever venture into the world of fashion. The main player that may come to mind when thinking on this topic is Russell Westbrook. The point guard, who played for the Oklahoma City Thunder and is now with the Sacramento Kings, is known for his out-of-the-box style and interesting dress choices. Some of his main motifs include kilts (longer irish skirts), really baggy tops, and really tight pants. To be honest, I think his outfits are usually very hard on the eyes, and it makes me wonder why he feels the need to wear some of the stuff he does.
Staying on the topic of the Oklahoma City Thunder, their current point guard, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, loves to wear flamboyant jackets and shirts. Some of his most eye-catching outfits are comprised of thick fur coats that go down past his knees, or a glossy tuxedo jacket that extends his frame by two feet (yes, really). These jackets and weird coats that he chooses to wear are honestly worse than Russell Westbrook’s outfits. Both Westbrook and SGA are actually involved in runway shows and designing their own lines as well, so I suppose they are qualified to wear whatever they want, even if it looks awful.
One of my personal favorite players in the NBA, LaMelo Ball, has a very interesting fashion repertoire. For starters, he is an affiliate owner of the Big Baller Brand (BBB) which is owned by his father, LaVar Ball, and is also co-owned by his two brothers, Lonzo and LiAngelo. LaMelo also has his own ‘lifestyle brand’ called LaFrancé. Big Baller Brand’s catalogue is honestly weak, with much of the clothes being shamelessly rehashed versions of preexisting items. However, the catalogue of LaFrancé is much more interesting, even if it is limited due to the brand’s nascency. LaFrancé consists mostly of shoes, although there are some other items such as sweatpants, hoodies, jackets, and shirts. Both of these affiliations aside, LaMelo’s actual outfits are quite good. He mostly wears streetwear, such as Nike Tech components or puffer jackets, and his outfits honestly fit him quite well. He is also the starting point guard for the Charlotte Hornets, my favorite NBA team.
A staple on any NBA list of any kind, the great (GOAT) LeBron James also has a style of his own. He has also done collaborations with Louis Vuitton and New Balance, designing his own pieces. His main affiliation, however, is his massive line of Nike shoes, which he frequently wears. His shoe line spans back years, and has many iterations and styles to choose from. His outfits are much more subtle compared to the other players on this list, typically consisting of a waist-length jacket, basketball shoes, and a hat or beanie. Lebron’s outfits, although comparatively simple, are really nice in my personal opinion.
Current Milwaukee Bucks forward Kyle Kuzma has, in my opinion, immense fashion sense. He has been clowned online before for wearing some REALLY bad outfits, namely an oversized pink sweater, the sleeves of which went down to his knees or a black mesh thingy that made his body look like a rectangular prism. Outside of a couple outliers, however, his outfits are actually very nice. He frequently wears streetwear items such as bucket hats and cool jackets, but mixes in a healthy amount of eye catching pieces to set him apart. Even the Wall Street Journal has written an article about his signature style, further lending him fashion credibility. It’s honestly good that Kuzma has this fashion aspect to his career, because his only real performance was as a bench player with the 2020 Los Angeles Lakers, which many would argue isn’t a ‘real’ championship ring.
Going back to the Charlotte Hornets, past player Kelly Oubre Jr. (played with the Hornets from 2021 to 2023) is very involved in the fashion scene. He has walked the runway at Paris Fashion Week multiple times, with one of his outfits being basically a bed sheet draped over his body, in addition to some basic white sweatpants. Oubre Jr. also has his own contract with shoe brand Converse, which hasn’t produced a whole lot of good material. Most of the Converse x Oubre shoes look like they belong to the galaxy trend from 2016, which, in case it needs explaining, isn’t a very good look. However, Oubre Jr. does have nice color choices in many of his other outfits, making neon colors work in places many others can’t. Oubre isn’t just a fashion icon though, as his career high of averaging over 20 points per game with the Charlotte Hornets (from 2022-23) is absolutely nothing to scoff at.
Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker is the last entry on this list, and his style is mainly built on streetwear. He typically rocks a beanie (or flatbill hat) along with baggier pants and thin, often denim, jackets. He also has a great collection of vintage cars, which although it isn’t fashion, it does add to his public look. He is also a great basketball player, leading the Phoenix Suns to a franchise record 64 wins in 2023. His only questionable public image decision is his relationship with Kendall Jenner for multiple years, which is just a massive L. Aside from that though, his fashion, although subtle.
