Friday, July 26, 2024

Crowning the Fashion King: Russell Westbrook is SI’s Most Fashionable Athlete 2017

Do you suppose Thunder Point protects Russell Westbrook and draws a crowd while he dribbles beyond half-courtroom? You haven’t seen him shopping in SoHo. Instead, sorting through racks of ripped jeans and graphic tees at Topman in decrease Manhattan in March, Westbrook—sporting a complete gray Adidas sweat healthy, clean off a flight from Oklahoma City to New York City—is targeted, evenly tuning out the gathering group of image-grabbing, Snapchatting fanatics. It’s almost as though he’s dealt with similar distractions in an opponent’s arena with a crowd of 20,000 around him.

He slithers among the maze of mannequins and stacked shelves, preventing him from discovering his length while an object catches his eye. (His 6′ three”, 200-pound chiseled frame easily fits into off-the-rack patterns.) First, he pulls a black-grey-and-white ombré bomber jacket. Then, a couple of Levis denim with patches sewn haphazardly on each leg. Like a scientist in a lab analyzing a check tube, Westbrook holds up the hanger in front of him, studying the health and visualizing his next look. Finally, he shrugs and adds the denim to the “yes” pile developing in his hand.

This is the 2-word mantra through which he shops, practices, performs, walks, talks, attire, and eats. It’s the word he wears on an orange silicone bracelet on his wrist. The phrase helped him acquire the 2017 MVP award after averaging a triple-double, a feat no NBA player had carried out because of Oscar Robertson in 1961–62, even as piling up a document 42 of them. It’s the word that looks inside the call of his charity employer, Russell Westbrook. Why Not?

Foundation. It’s the word he hashtags on his Instagram posts, often displaying his unorthodox attire. “It goes throughout such a lot of matters, now not just in fashion, however, your whole self,” says Westbrook. “It’s vital to remember to be yourself, no matter what others think.”

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Wondering what happened to the one’s Levis jeans? When Westbrook exited onto the SoHo streets, trailed by a % of enthusiasts, the denim changed into one in every few items in his purchasing bag. One month later, in Houston, he arrived at Game 2 within the first spherical of the playoffs wearing them, paired with a black-and-white patterned, short-sleeve blouse— buttoned only as soon as, close to the lowest towards his waistline—and accessorized with sunshades and a black scarf. He calculated every outfit element, down to the silver chains dangling onto his naked chest.

“I put on an aggregate of the entirety,” he says, counting number-of-factly. “I go together with what I’m feeling and with what appears true, irrespective of how an awful lot it’s far. I must reveal to humans the world over which you don’t continually wear excessive-stop. But, whatever it is, you may nonetheless be fashionable.”

If Westbrook’s tastes don’t earn commonplace rewards from fashion critics, he draws excessive marks for boldness among his NBA friends. Most cite the manner he plays first, then observe with a mention of his accelerated style game. “I suppose it’s a right away mirrored image of who he’s,” says Warriors forward Andre Iguodala, No. Nine on the 2017 Fashionable 50 list. “He simply is going through 100%, crashing into you. He’s wild. But it works in the courtroom. He gets it performed. I’m partial to him and his fashion.”

“He’s just killing it, in his way,” says Bears wide receiver Victor Cruz, SI’s most elegant athlete in 2016. “For him, it’s simply: Why can’t I put on that? Why have I been pigeonholed into one issue? Why can’t I average a triple-double at some point in the whole season? There’s nothing he seems like he can’t do, which embodies his whole persona. And it makes for outstanding style.”

Closing in a decade as a seasoned, the 28-yr-antique from Long Beach, Calif., has emerged as many things. A document breaker. A statistical anomaly. A fashion icon. A garb dressmaker. And most lately, the NBA’s Most Valuable Player.

It seems he’s come a long way from the five’ 8″, 140-pound freshman who became cut from Leuzinger High varsity. But without a doubt, his indelible worldview—and the accomplishments that have to include it—commenced when Westbrook and his buddies followed it to assist them in staying effective and finding a manner out of inner-town Los Angeles.

William J. McGoldrick
William J. McGoldrick
Passionate beer maven. Social media advocate. Hipster-friendly music scholar. Thinker. Garnered an industry award while merchandising cannibalism in Gainesville, FL. Have some experience importing human hair in Minneapolis, MN. Won several awards for consulting about race cars in the government sector. Crossed the country developing strategies for clip-on ties in Washington, DC. Spent a weekend implementing Virgin Mary figurines in West Palm Beach, FL. Had moderate success promoting Elvis Presley in Ocean City, NJ.

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