The NBA season is approaching the halfway mark, just weeks away from the 2024 All-Star Game. Lebron James, at the venerable age of 39, is still putting up numbers comparable to his prime years. Nikola Jokic is still nonchalantly dominating every game, spearheading the Denver Nugget’s charge to another NBA finals, and young prodigies like Anthony Edwards and Tyrese Halliburton are finally coming into their own in the most famous basketball league in the world.
Beyond the crazy crossovers, alley-oops, and impressive stat lines, we are here to talk about the synergy between NBA and fashion. Fueled by the ever-so-popular NBA tunnel fits, NBA players' outfits are the one true highlight we, as fashion hyper devotees, are looking forward to in this NBA season.
Sure, the likes of Shai, Jaylen Brown, and Jordan Clarkson are always on the cover of magazines, oscillating between fashion scrutiny and reverence, but what about all the other players moving into the fashion scene with their walks to the locker rooms?
In this article, we want to shine a light on some of the emerging NBA players making waves in the fashion world. If you are regularly checking NBA tunnel fits, then you might already know them,if you don’t, then you are in for a treat.
Check out 5 NBA players elevating their fashion game in 2024
Malik Monk
This year, I’m rooting for the Sacramento Kings to have a deep playoff run so that Malik Monk can show us some more tunnel fits.
With a personal style ranging from elevated casualwear, often comprised of baggy pants, top tanks, and loose-fitting zip-up sweaters, to more high-end experimentation with brands like Balenciaga, Marni x Carhart, Palm Angels and Nanushka, Malik is truly showing us his versatility and growth. Regularly appreaing on LeagueFits, Malik Monk is firmly rising the ranks of the best-dressed NBA players.
When the playing field, and not the hardwood this time, is made up of people earning millions and having almost equal access to stylists, sought-after garms, and a ready-to-shoot photographer at every pre-game, personal style becomes all the more about attitude and energy, and Malik Monk got it.
Jerami Grant
Versatile, preppy-inspired, and with the right amount of confidence are the first things that come to mind when thinking about Portland Trail Blazers small forward Jerami Grant’s fashion.
Sure, coming fresh off of signing a five-year 160 million dollar contract is an easy way to be confident about yourself and get a hold of some nice luxury garms. But that doesn’t tell the whole story. If one thing is true of fashion, money alone can’t buy style (any reference to quiet luxury aficionados is purely intentional). It definitely helps, but you still have to wear the clothes the right way.
In the case of Jerami, he pretty much wears designer clothes to every game, but not what anyone else is wearing. From Margiela Tabis to Commes Des Garcons, his looks often ride on preppy style combined with unconventional combos such as vintage graphic tees, more billowy tops, strictly golden necklaces, bracelets, and rings. He’s got fearless confidence in playing with unique proportions and bright color palettes that is practically impossible to put him in a box.
Jerami is playing his own tunnel fits game and showing time and time again a maturity in his taste and calculated experimentation that truly sets him apart from most of his colleagues in the league.
Jared Vanderbilt
Whether it is because he is playing alongside Lebron or the sweet Los Angeles riding-on-your-motorbike-during-a-golden-sunset vibe inspiring his confidence, the rise of Jared Vanderbilt’s tunnel fit could not have gone unnoticed.
He can rock a biker fashion look like no other in the league, and he is also arguably one of the best right now at playing with contrasting proportions of cropped jackets with loose-fitting pants while remaining visually very balanced.
Combine that with casual yet thoughtful statement-making accessories, like the red Louis Vuitton tote you can see in the photo above, and you have a contender for this year’s best-dressed NBA player.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker
Besides having one of the longest names to be printed on an NBA uniform in quite some time, Nickeil Alexander-Walker is wearing some serious workwear-inspired looks this year. From the ground up, on the more fitted days, he is often seen wearing black loafers or cowboy leather boots, slim-fit leather jackets, and shirts for a very classy and timeless feel.
On the more casual days, it's all about jorts, vintage graphic tees, and oversized hoodies.
Forget sweatpants, over-the-top combinations of some lofty brands, or unnecessarily loud tunnel fits. Nickeil is one of the most well-balanced in the league regarding proportions and color palettes.
He consistently gives us solid fits day in and day out and shows a level of fashion maturity that is just as good as an NBA fashion vet.
Jalen Williams
And now, introducing to you, wearing number 8, starting shooting guard for the Oklahoma City Thunder from Santa Clara University, the 23-year-old Jalen “J-Dub” Williams.
While on his way to averaging over 18 points a game this season, Jalen’s tunnel walks to the locker room are full of eclectic fits, with a recent appreciation for wearing a mix of Carharrt jackets, pants, and hoodies.
On other nights, he is often seen with casual cargo with vintage tees and puffers. Everything is a little baggy with Jalen; bootcut jeans and Timbs are his go-to's, often reminiscing of tunnel-fit OGs like Jordan Clarkson but with his own spin.
Despite playing alongside (and shopping with?) one of the most fashionable players in the league right now, and future All-Star, Shai Gildeous Alexander, Jalen is already shining his own light at such a young age and with such a relaxed attitude about it, we can’t wait to see what his fashion evolution will bring next.
Don't stop here, check out our deep dive of Travis Scott's career, or our appreciation for 90s fashion, our interview with basketball legendary brand And1, or our tribute to Kobe Bryant.
