Swagged-Out Athletes of the '90s
The 1980s may have the well-earned reputation as the decade that fashion died, but the 1990s shouldn’t get a free pass on style just because it had the benefit of not being the '80s.
The gaudy fashion disasters of the Reagan Era didn’t disappear overnight, but evolved into an entirely new kind of tacky that we never seem to recognize as it’s happening.
For those of us who navigated middle and high school when the '80s died and the '90s came to life, there was a time when each us looked into a mirror and said, “This neon pink and black Nike jumpsuit looks hot on me.”
As a cross section of all things pop and culture, the sports world often serves as a bellwether for the rest of society—and few eras embody this idea better than the '90s.
Air Jordan, Reebok Pumps, flattops and all those enigmatic style icons of the Clinton years were equally about sports and setting new fashion trends (even if we look back in disbelief now).
In hindsight, fashion sense is always 20/20, and these athletes are great examples of '90s style at its loudest.
Frank Thomas
1 of 25
Date: August 1994
Event: Photo Shoot
With time freed up because of the MLB strike, Chicago White Sox player Frank Thomas poses for photos which would be featured in an ad for a Chicago-based clothing store.
The tie flying in the fan-generated breeze? Nice touch.
Chris Webber
2 of 25
Date: May 1993
Event: Press Conference
Former Michigan basketball player Chris Webber announces he will not be returning to college, opting instead to enter the NBA draft.
Webber’s contribution to Michigan’s famed Fab Five is almost as memorable as that shirt. Almost.
Joe Montana
3 of 25
Date: August 1994
Event: Chiefs vs. Vikings
Prior to beginning his second season with the Kansas City Chiefs, Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana signs autographs for fans at New Tokyo International Airport. The team was in town to play the Minnesota Vikings in an exhibition game.
Athletes were all about the ridiculously loud shirts in the early to mid-90s.
Wilt Chamberlain
4 of 25
Date: February 1997
Event: Press Conference
The great Wilt Chamberlain takes questions from the media as part of the NBA’s "50 Greatest Players” event in Cleveland, seriously swagging in sunglasses and a gold chain.
Decades after he first captivated basketball fans with his size and skill on the court, Chamberlain still had reporters eating out of the palm of his massive hand.
New York Mets
5 of 25
Date: January 1992
Event: Team Luncheon
New York Mets teammates Todd Hundley, Paul Gibson, Dave Gallagher, John Franco, Bobby Bonilla, Howard Johnson and Willie Randolph pose alongside manager Jeff Torborg during a team luncheon at Shea Stadium.
That’s a lot of very ridiculous sweaters in a very enclosed space. The Cosby sweater in the far back is definitely the standout of the bunch, particularly when paired with that epic mustache.
Dennis Rodman
6 of 25
Date: August 1996
Event: Book Signing
Chicago Bulls bad boy Dennis Rodman somehow managed to outdo his own notoriously bad fashion choices by showing up to promote his book, Bad As I Wanna Be, dressed as a bride.
Junior Seau
7 of 25
Date: February 1990
Event: Press Conference
The late, great Junior Seau is pictured with his USC coach Larry Smith at a news conference in Los Angeles. That day Seau announced his intention to skip his final year of college eligibility and enter the NFL draft.
There’s no question that Seau is going full-on Little Richard here—the hair and mustache are too amazing for words. He kept it a little more casual by pairing it with a windbreaker, rather than a bejeweled suit.
Shawn Bradley
8 of 25
Date: June 1993
Event: NBA draft
Former BYU standout Shawn Bradley shakes hands with former commissioner David Stern after being selected by the Philadelphia 76ers No. 2 overall in the 1993 NBA draft.
The brown suit and the silk flower tie must have seemed like a really great idea at the time. In retrospect, though, probably one Bradley would like to have back.
Michael Irvin
9 of 25
Date: January 1997
Event: Cowboys vs. Panthers
An injured Michael Irvin walks off the field following a Dallas Cowboys loss to the Carolina Panthers in the divisional round of the NFL playoffs. Irvin was hurt in the first quarter of the game and never returned.
What’s great about this photo is that it just as easily could’ve been taken last year. Irvin’s flashy sense of style actually hasn’t changed all that much from his playing days. Here’s hoping it never does.
Eric Lindros
10 of 25
Date: June 1991
Event: Press Conference
Eric Lindros is introduced at a press conference in Buffalo after being selected No. 1 overall by the Quebec Nordiques in the 1991 NHL draft.
Nothing says '90s cool guy like ridiculously frosted hair. As someone who loved this look on men back then, it’s always a surprised to be reminded of just how bad it was.
Rickey Henderson
11 of 25
Date: November 1990
Event: Press Conference
After being name the AL MVP by the Baseball Writers Association of America, Oakland A’s outfielder Rickey Henderson talks to reporters at a press conference.
Henderson’s hair in this photo is a thing of beauty—it’s somewhere between a Kid ’n Play high-top fade and Johnny Unitas crew cut. Unfortunately, there’s no explaining the weird fit of that jacket.
Troy Aikman
12 of 25
Date: January 1995
Event: Leaving Team Facility
Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman is trailed by reporters as he leaves the team’s training facility in Irving, Teaxs. Dallas had just lost to San Francisco, the earliest ending to their season in three years.
Decked out in all denim, Aikman inadvertently provides a little comic relief to an otherwise somber photo. That probably wasn’t his intention at the time, but a welcome turn of events.
Michael Jordan
13 of 25
Date: March 1995
Event: Training Session
Bulls great Michael Jordan arrives at Berto training center outside of Chicago. His agent had just released a statement announcing MJ was returning to the NBA after an abysmal attempt at playing professional baseball.
If this was anyone else, I’d say he was dressed like a clown. But since it’s none other than His Airness himself, I’m going to say he’s looks like a champion. Plus, the Corvette really elevates the entire look.
Martin Brodeur
14 of 25
Date: June 1995
Event: Stanley Cup Finals
New Jersey Devils goalie Marty Brodeur smokes a cigar while taking questions from reporters following a 5-2 win over the Detroit Red Wings in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Finals. New Jersey swept Detroit to win the championship that year.
You don’t have to see anything that Brodeur is wearing from the neck down to see this is a man with swag. Win or lose, hockey players aren't known for being particularly animated off the ice, so this is a nice change of pace.
Ray Lewis
15 of 25
Date: April 1996
Event: NFL draft
University of Miami standout Ray Lewis talks to the Baltimore Ravens, who selected in the first round of the NFL draft. Also pictured is his grandmother, Elease.
You know Lewis was channeling his inner Deion Sanders when he put together this gold-heavy look. And if that’s the case, you know those sunglasses aren’t just gold colored.
Mike Piazza
16 of 25
Date: July 1995
Event: MLB All-Star Game
Los Angeles Dodgers superstar catcher Mike Piazza stops to sign some autographs at the ballpark in Arlington, Texas, following the All-Star Game. His seventh-inning homer tied the game for the NL, which went on to win.
Piazza’s outfit is not nearly as ridiculously '90s as one would hope, but the hair and mustache more than make up for that. Not sure if that’s technically a Jheri curl, but it sure looks like it’s in the same family.
Manute Bol
17 of 25
Date: October 1994
Event: NBA European Tour
Golden State’s Manute Bol is all smiles during a conversation with assistant coach Bob Lanier. The two are photographed arriving at Orly airport in Paris—the Golden State Warriors and Charlotte Hornets were in town to play an exhibition game at Bercy stadium.
As you can clearly see, Bol is swagging out of control in a slick blue suit, sharp black button-up and flashy gold chain. Lanier, on the other hand, looks like a current-day retiree heading to the mall around 7 a.m. for a brisk indoor walk.
John Elway
18 of 25
Date: August 1990
Event: Broncos vs. Seahawks
Denver Broncos quarterback John Elway and his wife, Janet, arrive at the New Tokyo International Airport and are greeted by the Japanese media. The team was in town to play the Seattle Seahawks in a preseason exhibition game.
Nothing about what Elway is wearing here should work, but somehow he’s able to pull the whole thing off. The only other person that routinely pulled this look off was A.C. Slater from Saved by the Bell—those pants are classic Slater.
Bill Cartwright, Stacey King and Horace Grant
19 of 25
Date: June 1992
Event: Media Interviews, NBA Finals
Bulls teammates Bill Cartwright, Stacey King and Horace Grant talk to the media ahead of the NBA Finals against the Portland Trail Blazers. They would go on to win their second straight championship.
Winning championships is all well and good, but everything is better when you look great doing it. It’s safe to say few have rocked Zubaz pants harder than these fellas.
Wayne Gretzky
20 of 25
Date: January 1993
Event: Press Conference
The epic Wayne Gretzky announces he’s been cleared by the Los Angeles Kings team doctors to resume playing. The Great One had been out all season dealing with a herniated thoracic disk in his back.
Getting back into the lineup was obviously no small occasion for Gretzky—a man doesn’t dig out his swanky leopard print tie for just any news conference.
Alex Rodriguez
21 of 25
Date: June 1993
Event: MLB draft
Alex Rodriguez smiles as he receives a phone call from the Seattle Mariners, asking him to join the team as the No. 1 overall pick in the draft.
Of course, that might be one of the most unenthusiastic draft-day smiles in sports history. Perhaps he was already regretting going with the denim button-up.
Alonzo Mourning and Penny Hardaway
22 of 25
Date: September 1994
Event: Nike Hoops Heroes Team Tour
Alonzo Mourning and Penny Hardaway play around on the Great Wall of China at Badaling, just north of Beijing. They were there as part of a Nike event to meet the Chinese All-Stars.
Those oversized, brightly colored Nike jumpsuits are a time warp back to the '90s.
Deion Sanders
23 of 25
Date: October 1992
Event: Pirates vs. Braves
Superstar Deion Sanders leaves Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh after defeating the Pirates in Game 4 of the NLCS. He left immediately to rejoin the Atlanta Falcons for an NFL game the following Sunday.
And like Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor, Diana Ross and all the other great divas that came before him, Sanders has always known the value of a show-stopping fur coat.
Deion Sanders
24 of 25
Date: October 1992
Event: Pirates vs. Braves
Deion Sanders arrives back in Pittsburgh to rejoin the Atlanta Braves as they face the Pirates in the NLCS.
Neon Deion left town in a fur coat and returned with carrying a Louis Vuitton purse.
Lawrence Taylor, Magic Johnson and Pat Riley
25 of 25
Date: March 1995
Event: AIDS Fundraiser
NFL great Lawrence Taylor with NBA legends Magic Johnson and Pat Riley pose for a photo at the New York Sheraton. The event was sponsored by the Magic Johnson and Robin Hood Foundations, its purpose was to raise money for AIDS education and prevention programs.
Though they are obviously three very cool guys, LT definitely stands out as the swagtastic superstar in his color block leather jacket. The fact that he skipped a shirt in favor of some exposed chest hair makes the overall look absolute perfection.
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