The Most Extraordinary Style Evolutions in the NBA
Looking at Dennis Rodman today, it might be hard to remember that in 1986 he was just a fresh-faced rookie trying to make a name for himself with the Detroit Pistons.
From his rookie season to the later years and beyond, Rodman experienced a style revolution, and he's not the only one.
NBA fashion has long been influenced by music, from Marvin Gaye in the 1960s and '70s to Jay Z in the 1990s and '00s. But no matter what cultural influences have existed for them, athletes' style has long been impacted by their surroundings.
These 10 athletes went through a transformation, at one point or another. For some, it was just a matter of adapting to the times, and for others it was part of an ongoing effort to remain fashion-forward.
Or, in the case of one Michael Jordan, it was just because he wanted to wear baggy shorts.
Kevin Durant
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Kevin Durant went from a teenage rookie in 2007 to an NBA MVP with a confident personal style.
Like his Oklahoma City Thunder teammate Russell Westbrook, Durant got into the nerd-glasses trend, but he also took it upon himself to wear backpacks to press conferences in 2011 because, why not? Others around the league respect Durant's style and opinions, as well. He served as a style correspondent for GQ during All-Star Weekend in 2013 and has self-described "off-the-wall" style.
"I like stuff that doesn't match, I just like to standout," he told Teen Vogue in 2013, per Matt Welty of Complex magazine. Durant has come a long way from polo shirts and baseball hats, that's for sure.
Michael Jordan
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The great Michael Jordan has never been known to have a great fashion sense, but he is largely responsible for one of the most important fashion updates in basketball history.
Short shorts were always the norm in the NBA, but according to Shaun Powell of NBA.com, Jordan requested Champion make him a pair of baggier shorts for the 1989 season. Per Powell, Jordan said, "It's just something that seemed more natural, more comfortable to me. They felt great."
Jordan has also been on top of the shoe game since the 1980s. His first Nike Air Jordans debuted in 1984, and although the shoe changes all the time, it will always be the coolest basketball shoe on the market.
Amar'e Stoudemire
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Amar'e Stoudemire's draft suit was pretty bad, but it did indicate his attention to style, even then. Since 2002, the Miami Heat forward has become one of the NBA's most fashionable athletes.
Stoudemire told Alex French of the New York Times he has always been intrigued by fashion, an interest that stems from his mother's work as a seamstress. He did say of the draft suit, "I wouldn't want to do that over. The suit I had on was a three-quarter length jacket. It was the style during that particular era, but I would not ever put that on ever again."
Stoudemire wore a custom-made Lavin suit to his wedding reception in 2013 and has even gotten into the fashion business himself. According to Leah Bourne of the New York Post, he has collaborated with designer Rachel Roy and is currently working with an activewear brand.
Russell Westbrook
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Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook came into the league in 2008, well after NBA Commissioner David Stern imposed a new dress code in 2005. By then, players were already looking sharper and paying more attention to fashion.
To be clear, Westbrook was never poorly dressed. His 2008 ESPY look was a little baggy and forgettable, but it didn't take him long to make a name for himself in sports fashion.
Westbrook has been out front in terms of pushing the envelope for years. From the nerd glasses to quirky prints and new silhouettes, Westbrook marches to the beat of his own drum, and others follow.
He sat next to American Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour at New York Fashion Week in 2013. This year, Vanity Fair ran a photo diary of his attendance at Paris Fashion Week, and he even has his own line. Look for his evolution to continue upward and outward.
Walt Frazier
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Walt Frazier has always been confident with his fashion persona. As his style evolved over his NBA career and beyond, he never lost that signature swagger.
The Hall of Fame point guard's heyday was in the 1970s, and his style reflected the era to a tee. His dapper suits and hats helped earn him the nickname "Clyde," inspired by the 1967 film Bonnie and Clyde. He was the epitome of cool.
In fact, there are those who think Frazier's style has remained in the '70s, even as time has moved into the 21st century. But the truth is, he has gone from '70s swag to modern color. Frazier told Steve Marsh of GQ in 2013, "I don't dress in the 70s—I gotta a lot of different looks…I love the styles from that era. And I improvise it for now."
Dwyane Wade
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Dwyane Wade's fashion sense was a little all over the place when he first went pro in 2003. From a white newsboy hat at the 2004 ESPYs to swimming-in-them baggy pants on Total Request Live, the Miami Heat guard didn't seem to have much of a style identity.
Then in 2006, Wade began working with stylist Calyann Barnett. She told Rachel Felder of Ocean Drive, "When we first started, he just knew he wanted to dress well. Now he wants to be involved in his overall look. There's more of a friendship there, too."
Now, Wade is not only one of the best-dressed men in the NBA, but he is also one of the most fashion-forward. He and wife Gabrielle Union made a huge splash at New York Men's Fashion Week, and he even has his own line of neckties.
Jalen Rose
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Stylist Rachel Johnson (who also works with LeBron James) blazed the athlete fashion trail in 2005 when she took on Jalen Rose as a client.
By then, Rose has been in the NBA for a decade, playing forward and guard for several teams. However, the league's new dress code meant all players had to amp up their off-court looks.
As far as her clients' own fashion acumen, Johnson said it's been an evolution. She told Gaby Wilson of MTV.com, "They weren't then, but my clients are absolutely well-versed now. The standard back then for style, for these athletes, was those musicians, what they saw in videos, and it was more about emulating that style than necessarily creating their own."
Julius Erving
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Hall of Famer Julius Erving was in the same boat as Walt Frazier during their playing days. In other words, he was a 1970s basketball fashion icon.
Dr. J is still remembered for his signature afro, which peaked in the early '70s during his time with the ABA. His tinted sunglasses and plaid suits were what you might find if you looked up "'70s fashion" in the dictionary.
However, as the time marched on, Erving's style followed suit. Unlike Frazier, his look became more of the sharp-yet-simple variety. His afro shrunk down, and his suits became more reserved.
Nowadays, he's not wearing animal-print suits like Frazier, but Erving still is about as sharply dressed as any retired baller as you're going to find.
LeBron James
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Sure, LeBron James oozes style now, but remember his draft suit? The all-white number frequently makes it into the conversation of worst draft suits ever.
According to Adena Andrews of espnW, James' evolution began in 2005 when Jay Z introduced his manager to stylist Rachel Johnson. From there, Johnson took him from a draft joke to a Vogue cover model. Per Andrews, Johnson said, "That introduction helped me begin fusing fashion and sports. The two worlds have seen each other and nodded to each other, but were never really fully exposed to each other."
From then, James has just looked better and better. In 2013, GQ named him the most stylish athlete in sports, and in 2015, he sizzled at the premiere of Trainwreck.
Dennis Rodman
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Dennis Rodman's style has certainly changed over the years, in that, it has gotten crazier and more out there as time goes on.
With the Detroit Pistons in 1986, Rodman just looked like a young newbie on the court. Over the years, however, dyed hair, piercings and tattoos increased the volume of his fashion statements.
In the years since his NBA retirement, Rodman has gotten even more bold. In 2013, he showed off a blonde Mohawk and cartoonish jacket at the All-Star Celebrity Apprentice finale.
In Rodman's autobiography, Bad as I Wanna Be, he wrote, "I like to shock people, to have them wonder where I'm coming from. To hang out in a gay bar or put on a sequined halter top makes me feel like a total person and not just a one-dimensional man," per Roy H. Campbell of the Baltimore Sun.
