Secret Clothing Brands Of NBA Players

The NBA has never been more interlocked with the fashion industry than it is right now. The tunnel walk up to games has become a staple of coverage on TV and online, as millions of fans want to check out what their favorite NBA players are wearing to games. It should come as no surprise then that more and more NBA players have their own clothing lines — what is surprising though is the number of fashion brands that are flying under the radar at the moment.

Everyone knows that Russell Westbrook, a longtime fashion icon in the NBA, has his own line of signature apparel with Honor The Gift.

Fans are also familiar with James Harden’s penchant for high fashion, and the fact that his own clothing line has evolved from his shoe deal with Adidas.

That’s the general norm for fashionable athletes with a shoe deal — a clothing brand naturally pairs with a brand already established for their footwear. Steph Curry is another prime example with Under Armour.

But some players are stepping out to have unique high-end clothing lines separate from any sportswear or shoe deal.

The deals aren’t exactly secret, but neither are they heavily promoted. Some players seem to believe that less is more when it comes to hyping their apparel.

Not thirsting after the spotlight helps create buzz and word of mouth. There seems to be an intentional aim to let the clothes speak for themselves — something more and more athletes are able to do thanks to all the eyes on their pre- and post-game tunnel walks.

For instance, it was big news when Kyrie Irving lost his Nike deal, and many are now aware of his collaboration with Chinese sportswear brand ANTA on his signature KAI line of shoes (his full name is Kyrie Andrew Irving). But did you know he also has a fashion line he created with his sister Asia Irving called HER KAI & I?

The company’s website explains that Asia and Kyrie’s “sibling bond inspires the brand’s expression of synergy — the importance of thinking and acting collectively.”

Kyle Kuzma, meanwhile, occasionally raises eyebrows with his provocative fashion sense (remember that giant pink sweater?) but he has steadily been building his own fashion and lifestyle brand, Childhood Dreams, often collaborating with his shoe partner at Puma on new apparel. Kuzma even opened a restaurant in the DC area under the same umbrella called Childhood Cafe.

The Ball family notoriously had problems with dad LaVar’s Big Baller Brand shoes, but youngest son (and biggest basketball star) LaMelo Ball’s style has settled in of late under his LaFrancé lifestyle clothing brand (which also sometimes collaborates with Puma).

Another current NBA standout, Jordan Clarkson, has his own collection with Lululemon. As the trendy fashion brand’s website explains, “Jordan co-created a training collection that blurs the line between the worlds he plays in as an athlete and creator. This is athleticism and artistry without bounds.”

The Showtime Lakers brought a new level of exposure and entertainment value to the NBA itself. Now it feels like this current NBA era is doing the same for the fashion industry. All that’s left to figure out is a good moniker — is this the NBA’s “runway” era perhaps?