“When you think of the NBA, you don’t just think of basketball anymore, it’s become so much more than that, especially for streetwear,” said Evann Pendrill, one of the co-founders of Bözers London, an emerging streetwear brand in south London. It’s hard to imagine any pre-game and post-game coverage that doesn’t feature the National Basketball Association’s now infamous tunnel walks, which has led to stars like Dennis Rodman and Michael Jordan in the 90s, to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Devin Booker now, being just as visible on fashion blogs and media as they are on sports ones. There can be no question that fashion in the NBA has played a pivotal role in the ascension of streetwear that we see today.
To understand how fashion has evolved in the league, and to many, the NBA’s outward influence on the world of streetwear and fashion began with Michael Jordan through the 80s and 90s. His nerve, grit and commitment to winning was undeniable, so what more could be said about a 6-time champion whose game spoke so loudly for itself? Perhaps the fact that Jordan changed the mold for athletes forever.
Evann Pendrill, who set up “Bözers” at 17 years old, and has since taken a break to focus on his degree, but plans to return down the line said: “Jordan redefined what it meant to be a professional athlete, merging insane performance with marketability, style, and influence in ways that we’ve never seen before.”
When Nike formed the Air Jordan brand in 1985, nobody could have predicted the sheer scale of what was about to happen. What started as a single signature shoe made for performance , grew into a brand worth just under 4.8 billion pounds according to Advertising Week. That shoe model, The Air Jordan 1, became a staple of fashion and is widely considered to be the greatest, or at least the most iconic streetwear shoe ever. In fact, in 2020, GQ reported that a match-worn pair sold for 461,000 pounds at a Sotheby’s auction. Michael Jordan set NBA stars down a path that would forever intertwine streetwear fashion and the league, and birthed a cult following for lovers of both these two industries.
Who could be better to follow MJ than Allen Iverson in paving the way for fashion in the NBA? His cornrows, baggy clothes and gold chains inspired a generation of young men in the states and how they dressed, not to mention his intense ability and creativity on the court inspiring players globally. But in 2005, following the “Malice at the Palace” violent incident, the then commissioner of the league David Stern implemented a controversial dress code rule that attempted to make the league more mainstream and less ‘thuggish’.
The dress code was rightfully criticised as discriminatory rule that targeted young black players. In an interview with Sleek Magazine, the founder of LeagueFits, Ian Pierno said: “ The dress code was racist but it was so pointless, too, because now Allen Iverson is just switching from baggy sweats to baggy suits. And you could argue that the baggy suits actually looked way worse.
“I think what makes basketball so unique compared to other sports is the self-expression that it allows for, like in the tunnel with the sneakers, being in rap songs, stuff like that. The dress code was one of the biggest losses that the NBA has ever taken just because it was muting their players in what’s truly a personality-driven league.”
The dress code failed to stifle creativity in the NBA’s fashion, if anything it ignited it, but not just individually, but league-wide. The dress code forced creativity and led to a more refined fashion awareness. Pendrill said his brand took inspiration from this: “Our message will always be that of unconformity, we make clothes that embody our vision whether they conform or not.”
“To be honest our products haven’t been directly inspired by specific NBA styles or trends, maybe that’s a US to UK thing, who knows? But the messaging and culture, the collaborations and just the creative energy definitely is something we have felt empowered by. The whole dress code thing is one of the biggest in the NBA’s fashion timeline that we look at. Everyone should wear their truth, whether it conforms or not you know? Refusing to have their expression silenced? That’s powerful.”
Since then, likely to the frustration of David Stern, fashion and streetwear have thrived in the NBA, and thus, the world. Tunnel walks, which is when the players are filmed on their way into the arena, have become iconic, and for some fashion fans the centrepiece of NBA coverage. Pendrill said: “I feel like tunnel fits has allowed players to show fans their character and who they are off the court.” Social media has of course played a big role in this with accounts like LeagueFits who have amassed over a million followers by working with photographers like Cassy Athena and Zach Beeker, with the sole purpose of capturing what the players are wearing pregame. Tunnel walks have become the new catwalks.
Throughout the 2010s we’ve seen a huge surge in individuals becoming trailblazers in the fashion industry. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (SGA), the Canadian superstar is the latest of these, after modelling with Louis Vuitton and penning a deal to make him a creative director at Converse. Russell Westbrook is perhaps the most experimental and eccentric athlete that all sports have ever seen when it comes to fashion. His unisex luxury streetwear brand ‘Honor The Gift’ debuted a collection at Paris Fashion Week in 2024. And of course Lebron James, a Nike ambassador who will turn heads in whatever he wears.
Pendrill said: “SGA is probably the one that I like the most, his style is pretty groundbreaking. And whatever the influence these guys have on our brand, it’s pretty obvious that the NBA has stamped its influence on streetwear as a whole today, not just on specific brands.”
That much is certainly true, particularly when looking at the rise of luxury streetwear brands like Off-White, Fear Of God and so on. Higher quality streetwear is arguably the hottest commodity in streetwear at the moment, especially for men. There’s also evidence of trends that can be traced back to the NBA, like the resurgence of bucket hats, flannel shirts and utility vests.
Arguably, the NBA has been responsible for some of the biggest shifts fashion has ever seen. From top to bottom, shoes to headwear, the NBA’s eclectic and diverse range of styles and trends has had an imprint on all aspects of streetwear. For the future, it’s likely there will be discussions on the sustainability of the fits of NBA players, but one thing is certain, the NBA’s influence far exceeds that of just ‘streetwear’ the NBA is shaping culture.
