Photographers crowded the entrance at Paycom Arena, their flashes illuminating Indiana`s star guard, Tyrese Haliburton, as he made his highly anticipated arrival for Game 1 of the NBA Finals.
Tyrese Haliburton arrived wearing an off-white Carhartt button-down jacket, white pants, black shoes, and sunglasses. For this crucial game, his chosen accessory was his brand-new signature sneaker debut: the Puma Hali 1, designed by Salehe Bembury in a hibiscus colorway.
Almost an hour later, the same hallway lit up again as the league MVP strode towards the locker room. Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander walked in wearing light blue-tinted sunglasses, a comfortable gray shirt jacket, and his `Masi Blue` SHAI 001 Converse sneakers, paying tribute to his younger brother, Thomasi.
The MVP`s signature piece? A Chanel cross-body bag, featuring a sophisticated pearl-detailed strap, complemented by an additional, smaller cross-body mini bag.
“Shai`s been doing it since he came to the league,” Haliburton commented to ESPN about his Thunder counterpart. “He is kind of like the undisputed king of [NBA fashion].”
Gilgeous-Alexander and Haliburton are more than just two star point guards leading the Thunder and Pacers in a tightly contested NBA Finals tied 2-2; they are also recognized as two of the league`s most stylish players, celebrated for their distinctive tastes and high-fashion outfits that are as dynamic as their play on the court.
While both guards are intensely focused on securing their first championship for themselves and their teams, Gilgeous-Alexander and Haliburton are among the players who have brought a sense of haute couture to this small-market NBA Finals matchup.
In the city where stars like Russell Westbrook, James Harden, and Serge Ibaka once showcased their boldest outfits, Gilgeous-Alexander—along with teammates such as Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren—has re-established Oklahoma City as a hub for NBA fashion. And for Haliburton, fully aware of the significance of this moment, he is using the Finals not only to silence critics with his clutch performance but also to make a statement with his personal style.
“OKC is a legendary tunnel with Russ and what Shai`s doing,” Haliburton shared with ESPN the week before Game 1.
“OKC is definitely one of everybody`s favorite tunnels.”
Russell Westbrook used to dominate this very tunnel, wearing everything from COOGI crewnecks to Saint Laurent boots.
He seemed willing to go to great lengths for fashion, even tearing holes in jeans and sewing pieces back on, often items purchased off the rack.
“My mom used to sew, so I used to watch,” Westbrook told ESPN during the 2023-24 season. “So if I rip something, if I cut it like I cut my jeans, I cut it up myself in the room.
“I can sew it by hand [with a needle]. I ain`t done it in a while, but I can also [sew] it by machine as well, too.”
Gilgeous-Alexander—the first Thunder point guard to guide Oklahoma City to the Finals since Westbrook`s 2012 squad—currently holds the unofficial title of NBA fashion king.
“Shai is acknowledged pretty widely as the reigning king of NBA style,” stated Wall Street Journal reporter Sam Schube, formerly GQ`s sports director. “He`s the guy who`s really picked up the mantle from LeBron [James], Allen Iverson, Dwyane Wade and Russ. He`s the next dude. … Shai`s sort of his own world. It doesn`t really feel like he`s playing the same game as everybody else.
“I don`t know how much Chanel you`re seeing in the NBA tunnel. That just tells you that that guy knows exactly what he wants to wear and feels great about doing it … to take a really classic fancy French lady women`s wear brand and twist it as an NBA player is like, `Ooh yeah.` You`re feeling good about yourself.”
Gilgeous-Alexander is enjoying a spectacular season. He secured the regular-season scoring title, MVP award, the Western Conference Finals MVP, and is now aiming for a potential Finals MVP honor.
Westbrook, who earned league MVP honors with the Thunder in the 2016-2017 season, is known for mentoring teammates in fashion, taking them shopping, purchasing suits or clothes, and offering style advice. Now with the Denver Nuggets, Westbrook has kept some of his most memorable outfits from events like the Met Gala, his wedding, and draft night.
These days, he primarily wears pieces from his own fashion label, Honor The Gift. The 17-year veteran sports a different outfit for every game and then donates his clothes to friends, students at his Westbrook Academy, or charity.
“I teach them fashion, but being affordable,” Westbrook commented on his shopping trips with teammates. “I`m not big on having young guys go to [Louis] Vuitton and [Christian] Dior and spending $2,000 on stuff. I`m big on thrift shopping. That`s how I was brought up. My mom was the one that taught and helped me understand about being able to have what you have but also looking good with what you have. And that`s why I was able to create my own brand.”
Now, OKC features another MVP making significant waves in the fashion world. At 26, Gilgeous-Alexander participated in the Thom Browne show during Paris Men`s Fashion Week in 2022. He has been named GQ`s Most Stylish Man of the Year and serves as Converse Basketball`s creative director.
“The European Fashion Week trip has become kind of a box to check if you`re a pro athlete,” Schube noted. “But it`s hard to remember guys walking in a Thom Browne show outside of Shai. He appears to have real relationships with some of these designers and sort of studies the craft as it were in a way that some of his peers don`t.”
It`s understandable that he spent about 40 minutes preparing “eight to nine outfits” before the Finals began, ensuring he had plenty of alternatives should the series extend the full distance.
“Before every series, I plan out my outfits for sure,” Gilgeous-Alexander confirmed to ESPN. “I don`t know if you`ve noticed, but every round I`ve debuted a new colorway of my [Converse] shoe. Round 1, all the outfits were centered around the gray shoes. And then Round 2, they were centered around the black shoes. Round 3, the clay shoes. And this round would be the blue shoes.”
Just as Westbrook, Harden, and Ibaka once transformed Oklahoma City`s pregame walk into a fashion spectacle, Gilgeous-Alexander isn`t the only style-conscious player on the Thunder. Williams, Holmgren, and Lu Dort, all vital contributors to the second-youngest team to reach the NBA Finals, have also used their pregame attire for self-expression.
Williams, in particular, is not afraid to draw attention, once wearing an all-black headpiece that completely covered his head, featuring three cushioned rows across his face.
He was fined $25,000 by the NBA for wearing clothing with inappropriate language during his second-round Game 7 postgame media session.
“I say my style right now, it`s baggy,” Williams told ESPN. “But it`s also just me, whatever I`m feeling. So if I`m feeling lazy, I`m not afraid to wear pajamas. I`m not afraid to be comfortable.”
For Game 1 of the Finals, Williams, 24, chose a vintage relaxed look with a 90s vibe, sporting a black and pink zip-up hoodie jacket with a hat, a graphic T-shirt featuring Michael Jackson from the `Dangerous` album cover, baggy jeans, and a `Pinky and the Brain` soft-sided lunch bag.
“This is like a classic Gen Z cool kid outfit,” Schube observed. “Big sneakers, giant jeans, little shirt and then a trucker hat that looks like maybe you could have gotten it at a gas station, but I`m sure it costs a thousand dollars. And is he carrying a lunch box? This could not be more of a Gen Z outfit.”
Holmgren, 23, also prioritizes comfort, describing his style as `casual but classy` and wearing whatever makes him feel confident. For Game 1, he wore a black hoodie, sunglasses, and pants. He admits he and the MVP are in different fashion leagues.
“It`s not a competition because the budget isn`t the same,” Holmgren said of Gilgeous-Alexander, who signed a five-year, $172-million extension in 2021. “That`s a dangerous game to try to play. So I don`t even try to play it.”
“I look at them as fashion professionals,” Holmgren commented on Gilgeous-Alexander and Williams. “And I`m more of a fashion hobbyist.”
Williams also concedes he`s not on the MVP`s level. Gilgeous-Alexander took Williams shopping in New York during the forward`s rookie season in 2022-23. Williams witnessed firsthand Gilgeous-Alexander`s fashion connections as they visited designer stores Williams couldn`t afford at the time. Williams mostly just watched Gilgeous-Alexander shop that day.
“The first time, it wasn`t that fun,” Williams recalled of that shopping experience with Gilgeous-Alexander.
“I just have more money now so I can kind of keep up.”
Williams mentioned that there`s never any real competition among Thunder teammates regarding who has the best outfits. The MVP sees it as providing fashion assists to his teammates.
“It doesn`t really get competitive,” Gilgeous-Alexander told ESPN politely when asked about fashion battles. “I don`t want to sound like … they`re like, those are my kids in terms of fashion. I showed them what to do and what not to do.”
This explains why Oklahoma City is once again a focal point for NBA fashion.
“You do not think of Oklahoma City as the most fashionable place on Earth,” Schube commented. “And yet there`s something in the water there. They`re a small market. [GM] Sam Presti, who built both of those teams, is obviously a guy who knows how to be creative and flexible when it comes to building a roster. And that means finding young players and empowering them.
“And so you get these young dudes who are just absolutely dripping and it happens to be in Oklahoma City.”
Before Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals, Haliburton entered Gainbridge Fieldhouse looking as though he was dressed for a solemn occasion. As the Pacers prepared to potentially eliminate the New York Knicks, Haliburton arrived in a sharp all-black ensemble with sunglasses, carrying a black duffle bag.
Ben Stiller, the actor and passionate Knicks fan, reposted a video of Haliburton`s entrance with some playful trash talk.
“Good thing he brought his duffel for the flight to NY,” Stiller wrote on X, expressing hope the Knicks would force a Game 7.
Haliburton proceeded to eliminate the Knicks with 21 points and 13 assists in the Pacers` 125-108 victory, and the point guard delivered a perfect reply to Stiller—who famously parodied male supermodels in his movie `Zoolander`.
“Nah, was to pack y`all up,” Haliburton responded on X.
The Pacers point guard is a huge wrestling fan and loves making a dramatic statement with his fashion choices. He understands which arena tunnels attract more attention, such as the walk into Madison Square Garden. As Schube notes, Haliburton seems “aware of how this is all going to play on social media” and “of the narrative and theatrics of it all.”
“Good style,” Gilgeous-Alexander said of Haliburton. “Above all, he wears it. He embraces his style and doesn`t care what anyone else thinks. He just wears it. And that`s all you can really do is, `I`m going to go in my closet and have my eight outfits that I think are fire`… all you can do is trust your feel and wear it with confidence.”
Haliburton, 25, is accustomed to receiving both positive and negative feedback on social media about his style decisions. Whether he opts for a `Peaky Blinders` inspired look or wears a Prada trench coat that online commenters likened to Inspector Gadget, Haliburton definitely sparks conversation.
“He doesn`t have one lane he just sticks to,” observed Pacers teammate Myles Turner, who also has an interest in fashion with a style he describes as `preppy Western.` “Whatever he feels, he`s going to throw it on and it`s a conversation starter piece for sure.”
“He`s bold, but so is his personality.”
During the 2024 All-Star Game, Haliburton wore a long double-breasted Prada runway jacket featuring shaggy blue fur around his biceps and knees. Some online compared the blue fur to the Cookie Monster.
“I think people just always fight things that they haven`t seen before or everybody just wants to fit in,” Haliburton told ESPN. “This is a world where if you try something different, everybody`s going to say something about it. I don`t dress like anybody else and I`m OK with that.”
“I think there`s a lot of people that are truly in the fashion world that would tell you that I dress very well and I believe I do. But for some people who really don`t know anything about fashion, it would be like he dresses terrible. I just do what I want to do at the end of the day. I`m not here to please anybody.”
Haliburton approaches his outfits with a practical mindset. While he enjoys wearing standout pieces from brands like Comme des Garcons, Prada, and The Row, he frequently reuses many items. He mentioned that he might wear 10 to 15 pairs of the same shoes or rewear pants or a black button-up multiple times as layering pieces.
“I mean, we got money, but clothes are expensive, bro,” said Haliburton, aiming to stay grounded even after signing an extension potentially worth up to $260 million in 2023. “That`s why I try not to get too many super loud pieces that you could see I wore again.”
As for those more flamboyant pieces, Haliburton sometimes sells them on Grailed, an online resale platform, using an anonymous account, or gives them to his fashion stylist, Olivier Rogers, to sell on sites like The RealReal.
“I have secret accounts on sites where you can resell clothes,” Haliburton revealed. “Even if I don`t get all the money back … say if I bought a jacket for five grand and I get three grand back, that`s better than getting nothing and it`s sitting in my closet.”
“When I first came to [the NBA], it bothered me so much. I would spend all this money on a colorful pair of jeans and a vintage T-shirt. And once I wear it once and post it on my Instagram, I can`t wear it again.”
As Haliburton prepares to face the Thunder in Monday`s Game 5, aiming to replicate the magic of Game 1`s game-winning shot, the Indiana star returns to Paycom Center hoping to recapture the feel of that night, which began by upholding the standard of bringing strong style to the OKC hallway.
One item likely not for sale are the Hali 1s he wore in Game 1. After hitting one of the most clutch shots in Finals history to complete the Pacers` comeback, Haliburton placed his signature Pumas next to the microphone during his postgame news conference.
“The secret sauce today was these,” Haliburton declared, pointing to his shoes after helping erase a 15-point fourth-quarter deficit.
Later, he delivered the ultimate mic drop on X, quoting one of the most memorable lines in NBA fashion history, an homage to Spike Lee`s Mars Blackmon.
“It`s gotta be the shooooeeesss,” Haliburton wrote.