Hero image via DeAndre Hopkins's Instagram @deandrehopkins Fans of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the National Football League (NFL) are used to seeing their favorite players sporting the uniforms of their respective teams. Those uniforms serve a purpose and are hardly what one would consider being the height of fashion.
However, the superstars wearing those garments and protective gear do not travel to and from games or go about their daily lives with their team colors adorning their massive frames. Indeed, some of the NBA and NFL's elite players use their superstar status and their eight-figure salaries as a platform to show the world their love of fashion.
Basketball, in particular, has long been associated with the latest fashion trends; the sport's players are not called ballers for nothing! After turning out for the various teams mentioned in online sportsbook reviews, the players quickly become fashionistas, sporting some weird and wonderful clothing as they greet fans, sign autographs, and get onto the team bus.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
It is no secret that Oklahoma City Thunder's point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has a penchant for the latest designer fashion. GQ magazine listed Gilgeous-Alexander as the number one trendsetter in the NBA in 2022. When the 6ft 6in Canadian is not racking up points for his team, Gilgeous-Alexander can often be found at fashion shows around the United States, including New York Fashion Week and the famous Met Gala.
Gilgeous-Alexander does not have a specific look. Instead, he is like a chameleon, altering his style as and when he sees fit. At the 2022 Paris Men's Fashion Week, Gilgeous-Alexander was not only spotted in his front-row seat but made his runway debut during Thom Browne 's segment of the show.
Jordan Clarkson
There must be something about playing point guard in the NBA that drives players towards fashion because Jordan Clarkson of the Utah Jazz turns out in that position and always heads to games looking like a million dollars.
Like Gilgeous-Alexander, Clarkson does not compartmentalize himself into one box, instead wearing what he fancies wearing at the time. One day you see him dressed in a Thom Browne skirt; the next, he shows up looking like he should be in a rock band, thanks to his baggy grunge outfit.
Whatever Clarkson wears, he manages to pull off, which is one of the reasons he became the global men's ambassador for Lululemon.
DeAndre Hopkins
It is not only basketball players that want to look their best in the tunnel because some of football's elite use pregame time to show the world that they have their finger on the pulse of the latest trend. Some, like DeAndre Hopkins of the Arizona Cardinals, take matters one step further and go out of their way and actively seek to earn the title of best-dressed NFL player of the season.
Hopkins is known for going the extra mile to get his hands on unique items. He once traveled to the Maison Margiela Paris boutique to find something out of the ordinary after being told they had a rare piece (it was one of only three ever made) that was perfect for him. After waiting patiently talking to Jerry Lorenzo, the Fear of God designer, Hopkins spent $6,000 on a vest that was entirely constructed out of belts! He would later be spotted wearing the out-there garment waiting in the tunnel before a game.
When he was growing up, money was tight for Hopkins, but he still wanted to look his best. He often saved for weeks and months to afford Calvin Klein and Ralph Lauren gear and was nicknamed Ralph because he wore so much Polo. Now that Hopkins has earned more than $145 million from playing football, money is no longer an issue, and he is free to express himself via the clothes he wears.
