Paolo Banchero lifted the right sleeve of his black hoodie to point to the green ink tattoo on his forearm. His long arms make up most of the 7-foot-1 wingspan that positioned him as a top prospect in Thursday’s NBA draft, but they also tell a story.
His right arm is studded with tattoos that represent crucial parts of his upbringing and make statements about his style: the Space Needle and the rest of the skyline of his hometown of Seattle sit on his right shoulder; “19th and Spruce” is written on her inner bicep as a nod to the Boys and Girls Club where she started playing basketball; and on the inside of his forearm is the logo for his friend’s Seattle-based clothing brand Skyblue Collective, which he wears frequently and says is “a part of him.”
Banchero, 19, who led the Duke men’s basketball team to the Final Four this year, uses his tattoos and outfits as a form of self-expression, a subtle way of sending messages. At a pre-draft style event at a Brooklyn barbershop on Tuesday, he wore an all-black luxury designer outfit, which he said was bland compared to what he would put together on draft night.
On Thursday, he wore a bright purple suit when the Orlando Magic selected him with the No. 1 overall pick in the draft.
Banchero and many of the top players in the 2022 draft class already have a public persona, but it will be greatly boosted if an NBA team signs them. While playing well and winning championships are paramount in how an NBA player is perceived, style and image come a close second. After all, this is the league in which Los Angeles Lakers forward/center Anthony Davis turned his unibrow into a celebrity in its own right, even trademarking the phrase “Fear The Brow” in 2012.
NBA athletes have made it easy for fans to appreciate their fashion sense, turning their pre-game tickets into their own version of the Met Gala. Fans on social media are quick to share photos and videos of players’ 30-second walks to locker rooms from cars or team buses at NBA stadiums. GQ magazine crowned Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as the NBA’s most stylish player of 2022, over Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker, because “the guy cares about dressing up.”
Jalen Williams, a forward from Santa Clara University and a possible first-round pick in the draft, is looking forward to the runway before the game. On his cell phone, he has several search tabs open for different clothing brands. He laughed and pointed to G League Ignite’s Jaden Hardy, another possible 2022 draft pick, when he saw them wearing the same MNML-branded black sweatpants at Tuesday’s event.
Williams said he tried to balance being aware of what he wore while having fun with his style, because he knew he would be judged on his attire and appearance. He incorporates clothing from less popular brands into his wardrobe to encourage those who may admire him to feel “comfortable in his own skin.”
“I think that’s the most misunderstood thing in fashion,” the 21-year-old Williams said. “You feel like you have to please whoever or look a certain way, but what you like is what you like.”
Williams said she also tried to support small brands and promote social justice issues through her clothing. She sported a jacket from Tattoo’d Cloth, which made custom embroidered jackets for some draft prospects, and tagged the brand in an Instagram story. On June 16, she wore a Malcolm X t-shirt and often wears different types of clothing to support the Black Lives Matter movement. “I think as athletes it’s important to inspire people and spark change and use our platform,” Williams said. “Sometimes not even saying anything other than wearing the clothes is really important.”
Williams’ style also goes beyond her outfits. As a sophomore in high school, she decided to wear a single braid while she left the rest of her hair unbraided, hanging the braid at eye level. That has become a popular style in the NBA.
“I’m not going to say I started it, but I could have started it,” he joked.
Fashion has long played an important role in Williams’ life, dating back to his childhood when he began using the My Player mode in the video game NBA 2K, in which users create players and can design them to hang out in a park. virtual. He is serious about his My Player fashion choices.
“You can’t come to the park in brown and gray,” Williams said, poking fun at the generic attire given to created players. “No brown shirts!”
The Oklahoma City Thunder selected Williams with the 12th pick in Thursday’s draft. He wore a dark pinstripe suit and large sunglasses with his famous single braid on them.
For 7-foot center Chet Holmgren, who played at Gonzaga and was expected to be a top-three pick on Thursday, being in style was a challenge growing up. He could never find clothes that fit his long, lanky body, and he couldn’t afford the tailored suits he loved. He ridiculed the most impressive childhood outfit of his: Nike socks, basic jerseys, basketball shorts, and basketball shoes. In high school, Holmgren said, his style skyrocketed when he turned to resale websites and brands that carried clothes in plus and tall sizes. Now, he’s confident that he’s the hottest prospect in this draft class.
“In my opinion, I’m the swaggering guy beyond what I’m wearing,” Holmgren said. He further explained that fashion was more than just the pieces a person wore.
“You could spend $10,000 on an outfit, but you could have a junk outfit,” she said. “You may have the right pieces, but if you can’t put them together, the outfit won’t be great.”
Like Williams, Holmgren is looking forward to the NBA pregame runway, and he’s not worried about his style choices.
“I feel like I don’t really miss when I get in shape,” Holmgren said. “So whatever I’m wearing, I’ll be fine.”
Holmgren was selected second overall after the Oklahoma City Thunder. His diamond chain, which featured a pair of dice, sparkled at Barclays Center as he walked onto the stage. He chose the dice for his chain, he said, because he liked to “bet on himself.”
Source: www.nytimes.com