A New York Times article is taking a closer look at the off-court fashion of NBA players, which they have dubbed “shabby-chic.”
The underground concrete-walled tunnel, lined with trash cans, Teamsters, and camera crews have gone from stadium entrance to a sort of runway for the basketball players thanks to social media, says the piece.
The athletes are into it though. We can still see Dwayne Wade’s hot pink pants all the way from 2012. They made a splash in the media though Wade had worn them as cooly as if he were in basketball shorts.
Other players the article cited for turning the 30 second walks into shows fit for fashion week time slots include Russell Westbrook and Stephen Curry.
Recently, Westbrook sported denim overalls followed by a zebra print blazer, while Curry reportedly watches clips of other player entrances and makes sure not a wrinkle is present for his own – unless it was sartorially placed there, of course.
The ‘why’ for the evolution of the game day ritual seems to be as much about an athlete’s personal style as it is pleasing spectating fans, designers, and broadcast partners like ESPN.
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Admittedly, the whole process is a treat to witness. Who wouldn’t have enjoyed ogling a cleaned-up, pre-game Michael Jordan sans the sweaty bald head?
But the affair oddly echoes what ‘peacocking’ editors and buyers were doing for fashion week press before the whole thing collapsed on itself – sending designers to shelter their shows in discreet locations.
Hopefully, the NBA players’ shabby-chic sashay shante on game day stays a punctuation to the sport more than anything else.
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