Archive for the ‘OKC Thunder’ Category

As we all know, enjoying fashion is the most important off-court quality an NBA player can have in this day and age. Looking cool and buying Givenchy shirts, after all, is one of the key components to establishing a solid brand. When in doubt, swag it out.

But outside of Amar’e Stoudemire, who once designed a women’s fashion line, it’s all men’s fashion. It makes sense, of course, since 100 percent of NBA players are male. However, if these guys are really as in to fashion as they say they are, you’d think they’d care about women’s fashion too, since that’s where the real crazy stuff is happening. And that’s why it’s refreshing to read about Kevin Durant dressing a Teen Vogue reporter. Because ladies need help too.

When it comes to styling me, Durant is extremely opinionated. We’ve narrowed the focus to three occasion-specific looks—game, date, weekend. Of the first, I’m informed: “Prefers jeans and heels. Doesn’t like when girls wear skirts or look like they’re trying too hard.” Nor does he approve of jerseys. Considering I wear only skirts and recently bought a KD jersey, I’m already backpedaling. The directives continue: “Date look: Loves dresses in colors like turquoise. Thinks the LBD is boring. [Editor's note: I'm impressed he knows the shorthand for little black dress!] Weekend: Likes girls in tennis shoes, especially Jordans.” Durant later clarifies that by “especially,” he means “only.” “As far as I’m concerned, there ain’t no tennis shoe other than Jordans.”

I arrive on set—the Chesapeake Energy Arena, home to the OKC Thunder—with two large trunks. Lined up beside Durant’s shoes, which are size 17, my own resemble Barbie accessories. Durant notices a pair of studded ones. “Jimmy Choo Choos!” he hollers approvingly. We pair them with jeans, a graphic tee, and accessories in Thunder orange and blue (this much team spirit is deemed OK). Game look on.

Next, a swimming-pool blue Matthew Williamson dress, which gets a thumbs-up for the date look. Durant is dressed in a dapper plaid blazer with a pocket square and indigo jeans. Last up, Jordans for the weekend look. “Unlace ‘em,” Durant says as I’m tying them on. His assistant chimes in, chuckling, “A lesson in KD swag.” My foot is now in Durant’s lap, and he’s showing me how to do the laces. (Hint: If your foot doesn’t feel like it’s falling out, they aren’t loose enough.)

There you go, women of Earth. Kevin Durant likes it when you’re wearing jeans, Jordans or a colorful dress (not all together, I don’t think). File that away in your dossiers, just in case. You never know when your foot will end up in Kevin Durant’s lap while he unlaces your shoes. It’s best to be prepared.

Not much else to say here, except that we finally have an answer to how much unlaced your shoe should be to look your coolest. That’s something I’ve been wondering for a while, so it’s good to finally crack the code. Just another lesson in KD swag.

Fashion! Turn to the left. Fashion! Turn to the right. Fashion! Read another blog post about it because sometimes that is just what’s happening in the NBA, ever since guys went glasses crazy during last year’s playoffs. Dressing up is an epidemic and I’m pretty sure Amar’e Stoudemire is the Typhoid Mary of this situation.

Nonetheless, though fashion has gotten unfathomably huge in the past year, Mr. Glasses himself, Russell Westbrook, wants everyone to know that he’s been looking good since days of Underoos. From GQ:

GQ: When did you get interested in fashion?
Russell Westbrook: Just growing up. My Mom and I shopped all the time, she shops all the time, and I was always into fashion. I’ve been blessed to be in a situation where I can now buy some of the things that look good.

[...]

GQ: Were you like that in high school and college too? Were you concerned with the way you looked then?
Russell Westbrook: In college I didn’t dress up every day, for class or stuff like that, but when it came time to do certain things I’d dress up for sure.

GQ: What did you wear to the prom in high school?
Russell Westbrook: I had an all-white tux with a turquoise vest, and some white-and-turquoise Stacy Adams. I won best dressed at prom.

GQ: Did you win best dressed in the yearbook?
Russell Westbrook: No, I didn’t because in high school I didn’t dress up every day. I’d just wear basketball shorts. I could have tried if I wanted to, but I didn’t.

GQ: Do you make an effort to dress up every day now? Or are there still days when you just throw on shorts and sweats.
Russell Westbrook: For practice I’ll throw on sweats, but any time I’m going to events I’ll dress up. I mean, I buy so many clothes, I’ve got to wear them somewhere.

So if we’re updating things that haven’t changed for Russell Westbrook since high school, the list now includes two items: 1) Still hasn’t missed a game and 2) Likes getting dressed up all fancy style. As a bro who spent hours playing “Perfect Dark” on Nintendo 64 last night, I can see how holding on to things that started when you were teenager can be very fun. Plus, like he says, he buys all these clothes so he has to wear them somewhere. People aren’t going to put pictures of his printed shirts on the internet if he doesn’t wear them in public.

Oh, and by the way, he still doesn’t need those glasses.

GQ: When you wear those glasses, do they have lenses in them or no?
Russell Westbrook: No, no, nine times out of ten, no. Some of them do, but not most of them, no.

GQ: Do you need glasses?
Russell Westbrook: Nah. I have the best vision.

The next time you see Russell Westbrook wearing his silly specs, just remember this quote: “I have the best vision.” That can even go on his tombstone, as far as I’m concerned, along with a cement pair of lensless glasses. After all, you’ve got to wear all those glasses somewhere.