Basketball’s big business. So big that over the 2022-23 season the 30 franchises involved in the NBA generated $10.58 billion in revenue. And where there’s money, style surely follows.
So it’s no big surprise that the men and women involved in the professional game have become style icons for many. The clothes they wear on the court have also always played an important role in the trickledown effect of fashion to reach the street.
Of course, this has also started to attract the big names in fashion who, as we shall see, have been quick to leverage this link to one of America’s most avidly-followed sports elevating many of its players to true style icons.
The fact that many have truly extraordinary body shapes makes this an even more remarkable phenomenon.
But before we get to that, let’s head out onto the streets.
Streetwise style
All across the country there are open-air courts and it’s this urban presence that helped to secure hoops fashion as a classic look. From the comfortable, loose team vests to the hoodies that players wear in warm-ups and training sessions, it’s clothing that’s truly democratic. That’s why you’ll find everyone from kids on the street to rap stars wearing them with pride.
Add to this the continuing growth in the popularity of athleisure wear and a huge boost has been given to basketball-themed fashion in recent years.
It started with a sneaker
Arguably, the real explosion stated one fateful day when the young and aspiring sportswear manufacturer Nike identified an up and coming talent by the name of Michael Jordan.
Both had the vision of how the relationship could work for them both – and the Air Jordan basketball sneaker was born. Controversial at first for the illegal and fine-attracting combination of red and black in contravention of NBA rules, they became an overnight success. To this day Jordan is still said to receive over $250 million a year in royalties from worldwide sales.
Who are you wearing today?
So, from the grassroots of the game, brands far grander than Nike have more and more moved in. Today this has created the phenomenon known as tunnel fashion. Attracting very nearly as much interest as the NBA odds before a big game, this sees the major stars’ sartorial choices being scrutinised as they head for the locker-room.
High-end brands like Louis Vuitton, Burberry and Gucci are all willing to pay handsomely for the exposure that this gives them. And all can expect to see the sales of the fashions featured to increase following exposure on a game day. Add to this the willing participation of the players themselves to use their social media presence and the results can be astonishing.
What about the WNBA?
Of course, it’s not just a phenomenon that affects the men’s game. All eyes are on the women too.
One player who has decided to make the link even more overt is Rubi Habash who has developed her own fashion range that takes elements of the classic basketball outfit and turned it into a stylish, elegant look.
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Then there are other players like Sue Bird and Candace Parker whose fashion choices can make as many headlines as their on-court performances.
The undisputed king of basketball fashion
But if there’s one player, or ex-player to be precise, who is at the cutting edge of fashion, its Dwyane Wade. Throughout his career he was held up as one of the most stylish players on the circuit. Back in 2006 GQ magazine named him as the best-dressed player in the NBA, an award he was also given by Esquire magazine in 2007.
Long before his retirement in 2019 he instigated the first of his annual A Night on the Runwade events and in 2015 he was named ambassador for the inaugural New York Men’s Fashion Week.
Wade followed this up by launching his own lifestyle and fashion brand forming close links with the footwear manufacturer Li-Ning. He then went on to sign up his own NBA star representative for the brand, D’Angelo Russell of the LA Lakers and continued to build up the business.
He has put down much of his achievement as a fashion success to the stylist to the stars, Jason Bolden who has also helped Taraji P. Henson and Wiz Khalifa develop their signature styles in the past.
As to the basketball stars who are currently at the cutting edge of fashion Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jordan Clarkson and PJ Tucker stand out. All have developed their own unique look that they show off in the tunnel week after week.
So if you’re looking for style tips for yourself, forget the fashion magazines and tune into the pre-match build-up whenever there’s an NBA game being played.
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