James Harden: Most Fashionable Man-Child
James Harden is only twenty-one, just old enough to buy alcohol legally in the United States. Harden is proving his worth for the Thunder these playoffs, averaging eleven points a game and shooting almost forty-one percent from the field. Harden is providing a spark for his teammates off the bench, but NBA fans are more enamoured with his unique manscaping and style. The member of the Thunders' Broingtons always stands outs among the usual NBA off-court uniform of dark, ill-fitting suits or head to toe Gucci ensembles. For the post-season, the Los Angeles native kept his full beard and shaved his hair into a mini mohawk. The hairstyle speaks to Harden's quirky California personal style and boyish charm.
When the Oklahoma City Thunder came to Toronto earlier in the season, I chatted with the sophomore shooting guard about his infamous beard and personal style. The beard discussion was posted on The Basketball Jones but Harden and I got to talking fashion and sneakers, too.
Harden defines his style as very LA, which to him means "flannels, little t-shirts, [Nike] Dunks, varsity jackets, stuff like that". While being a LA native, the west coast kid doesn't think he has a specific personal style code. If he sees some nice clothes, he buys them - one of the luxuries of having an NBA salary. "I wear a lot of [Nike] Dunk's, cartoon shirts, varsity jackets". Harden's love of cartoon shirts is something that's caught my eye since he was in college. It's not a look that's very popular on the east coast but for Harden, the cartoon shirts started because it's all about the shoes, "I get shirts to match my dunks. They got a store [in LA] called Hot Topic and they have a lot of cartoon shirts there..it's just about being from LA".
Harden's other style signature is the bow tie. It started at the NBA Draft with Harden's statement making outfit.. He wore a cream colored vest, pants, a striped shirt, a tan sport coat, a diamond encrusted watch and a burgundy patterned bow tie. While it was a lot of look, Harden just wanted to wear something different, "I don't think I thought about it...With the bow tie, I have a lot of them now....it's different, unique [my style] just comes natural, not something I try to do." Since the night he joined the Thunder, Harden's racked up over ten bow ties and plans on getting a lot more as he buys more suits.
Harden will be buying more suits mostly due to the NBA dress code. While most players are able to bring their own flare to their outfits despite Commissioner Stern's rules, Harden admits most of his wardrobe goes unworn on game days. "I [usually] wear a lot of hats, t-shirts, that I can't wear...The rules are put in place for a reason, but I still try to work around it". The shooting guard may think his style is the best in the league, but he'd still jump at the chance to raid a few wardrobes. "[I'd like to see what] top guys like Kobe and Lebron got in their closet, they probably got tons of stuff in their closet, I just to see what their wardrobe looks like."
Harden's personal style extends to his shoes, too. He can't pick a favorite pair but his choice Nike model will always be the Dunk. He's looking at adding the Gucci inspired pair to his collection and also loves the Canal Street Air Force One's because they're "cool and bright". Harden's style advice for those who want to follow his lead is to experiment with colors and not focus on one style, "anything you see that's unique and different, try to pick it up." Harden's hair is evidence that he practices what he preaches and allows him to bring his style on the court too. I wouldn't suggest the mohawk and beard combo unless you're around Harden's age or can grow a significant beard like him.
Made in China: Steve Nash Leaves Nike for Luyou
It seems that this NBA season is a time of transition for Steve Nash. In late 2010, he announced that he was divorcing from his wife. He endured another separation with Amar'e Stoudemire leaving for the Knicks. And now, the two-time most valuable player is parting ways with Nike Basketball, after fifteen years, to sign with a Chinese athletics brand called Luyou. Why the sudden change at mid-season? Leaving major brands for start-ups is a new trend among veteran NBA players. Baron Davis, a noted fashion plate and friend of Nash, was one of the first to sign with an Asian-based company. Davis has his own signature shoe and his Beardman logo literally makes him the face of Li-Ning. Shaquille O'Neal is also part of Li-Ning. Kevin Garnett left adidas to join ATNA and became their marquee player, and not just a member of adidas' basketball "brotherhood".
Why the sudden trend? Are larger companies just not giving enough attention to the superstars? Is it about money? Or about growing their brand as players to ensure longevity once their playing days come to an end? Doing well the Asian market can translate to huge dollars in terms of jersey sales, revenue from signature shoes and marketability with other brands overseas that could continue into retirement. Players like Nash, Garnett and Shaq are so well-recognized in North America that it makes sense to to try to make headway in the world's largest economy. All three players signed with different upstart Chinese brands that are still based in China. Li-Ning opened a store in Portland, the hotbed of athletic gear, last year, but none of these brands have an NBA presence or endorsement roster like Nike, adidas or even Reebok. Why take the risk and leave Nike after so many years?
Sneaker website CounterKicks attained the following statement from Nike:
“We can confirm Steve Nash is no longer under contract with us. We had a great run with Steve and we wish him all the best. We’re extremely pleased to work with the NBA’s top players like Kobe, LeBron, Durant and Wade, who wear our basketball products, the most innovative in the game today.”
The statement seems like public relations speak for "good luck but we really don't need you". Nike has the largest roster and arguably the best talent with Kobe and LeBron but also new young stars like Blake Griffin, whose meager endorsement contract will likely bring a large payday and extension for Blake and huge hype for another signature shoe next season for Nike Basketball. Nash is taking a risk, but he becomes the face of a brand instead of competing with so many dynamic players.
It's curious that the Luyou, Li-Ning and ATNA logos all look reminiscent of the infamous Nike swoosh. At first glance, they look like something that you may find in a knockoff factory in China. Are the companies doing their own swoosh to be recognizable? Is it symbolism or just a copy cat tactic? Perhaps if their logo was something unique, like another Chinese basketball brand, Peak, they would stand out more in North American market. They run the risk of being grouped into the Nike knock off section on the sales floor. However, it does leave room for serious branding for the signature sneaker models, like with what Li-Ning did with Baron Davis. The production process of both the Asian brands and the American names like Nike are likely in the same or or neighbouring factories in China.The incredibly lucrative footwear counterfeit business has another brand to compete with and mimic.
An interesting factor in this recent trend is that both Baron Davis and Steve Nash are represented by BDA Sports Management, an agency known for exposing their clients to a worldwide fan base, especially in China. BDA has a strong international roster of players including Yao Ming. It's also somewhat common for BDA athletes to endorse companies that are new in the basketball footwear market like Brandon Jennings, who is Under Armour's only NBA athlete and at the forefront of all their marketing campaigns. He also signed the contract while playing overseas in Rome, instead of going to college. Under Armour is an American brand that instead of being based in Portland or China, is based in Baltimore, Maryland and is well-known for their apparel, instead of a company like Luyou, which is unknown to North American NBA fans. Nash is Canadian with international roots and is known as the pride of the province of British Columbia. Vancouver has a significant Asian population so that could translate to marketing opportunities, events with the Chinese community and of course, more sales.
What it will really come down for Nash is whether he can sell sneakers to both markets and if it performs well enough for Nash to play in. Luyou's brand slogan is "I think I can" so perhaps the mantra can pay off. Looking at their current offerings in China, they do not seem to have designed basketball sneakers in the past - most lifestyle and casual running shoes. At the announcement in Beijing, the brand had Nash call in videophone and announced that there would be both a charity playground project called "Nash's House" as well as a Nash logo competition. Luyou trotted out diverse models who wore new designs and preached a new vision and direction for the brand. While I do not fully trust the capabilities of Google translate, it seems that Luyou is re-launching in their own market with Nash as the centrepiece. It doesn't seem that there was any plans for worldwide expansion but perhaps that will come later this season or during the All-Star game in Los Angeles. Technically and aesthetically I'm curious to see what the brand comes up with as their other shoe designs look dated and uninspired. Would you wear Luyou shoes? Perhaps only time and availability in all markets will tell. For now, I'm sticking to my Nike's.
The Ron Artest Art Show: Hipsters, Hoopsters and Sock Puppets
As I've written here before, Ron Artest is not your average NBA player. His antics on and off the court can illicit conversation, Twitter trends, fan outburts and even a Larry King interview. However, in early December 2010, a Facebook page announced an event that for most NBA fans and players was the inconceivable - a basketball inspired art show, dedicated solely to RonRon. Entitled Lovable Badass: A Tribute to Ron Artest, was the brainchild of curator, Steven Charles Manale, a Toronto artist and basketball fan, produced for Narwhal Art Projects. Thirty local artists paid tribute to the Queensbridge, New York native in a variety of art forms, including pen and ink drawings, sculptures, essays, prints, paintings and sock puppets.
When I received the Facebook invite and news of the art show became a popular tweet topic, I had a few mixed feelings. The event seemed well planned and Narwhal is known in Toronto for showcasing interesting works that are, at least intriguing, and usually well executed. The fact that it supported local artistans and one of my favorite NBA personalities was an interesting combination. But would the fusion between hood athlete and the hipster art scene work? Would the mix of unlikely bedfellows prompt the crowds to separate like an awkward high school dance, jocks versus artists? Promises of a mix of Ron's favorite New York City hip hop piqued my interest, as did hearing that the bar would be stacked full of Hennessy. How gangster is that? Curious got me out of the door and I was barely even fashionably late to the opening.
Needless to say, it was a surreal, once in a lifetime experience. I applaud the gallery and curator for trying something different. The timing was perfect as the night of the opening was during the Lakers practice day in Toronto, as they faced the Raptors the next afternoon. And yes, the man of the hour and mixed media art even attended. Ron is famous for using Twitter to reach out to fans and promote events. Ron re-posted my article on his fashion sense on his official website - RONARTEST.COM and retweeted the link. I was curious to find out if he actually read my post, to see what he was wearing and if he would partake in a bit of Hennessy, too.
The crowd at Narwhal was an interesting mix, different from you'd usually see at West Queen Street West art show opening in Toronto or a Raptors game. There were the artists who were on hand to pose with their art, explain their influences and greet Ron and guests. The organizers who all wore different Ron Artest jerseys from throughout his professional career (no Saint John's college gear, though). It was a nice, campy touch and made them easy to find in the crowd. The jerseys bring me to basketball fans in attendance, many in basketball gear hoping to get a picture with RonRon. Members of the media slung back from the madness including theScore's The Basketball Jones (Skeets and Matt) who were able to grab Ron for a quick interview and got the crowd to yes, say Queensbridge. There were also the usual neighbourhood hipsters and fellow artists taking it in.
The final group was the hoopsters. Now, I can't take credit for this term as Deadspin coined it but it's necessary in my lexicon in this instance. A hoopster is a hipster who wears an old, deadstock or rare NBA jersey for ironic wardrobe purposes, usually as a shirt in the summer with skinny jeans and boat shoes. Some are NBA fans, some are vintage fiends and some are just trying too hard to be cool. I heard one group of hoopsters discussing NBA rappers, as Ron has spit on mixtapes and even on solo tracks. My favorite overhead moment, "Hoopster 1: Shaq was an okay rapper, have you seen Shazam?" Hoopster 2: Allen Iverson is a pretty good rapper, though". Yes, AI had some skills on mic, but his rhymes never cut like his crossover. Shaq however, is an embarrassment to hip hop.
Despite the bizarre mix, most people got along just fine, perhaps it was the cognac or the pretty DJ Ali Cat spinning tunes or the mix of interesting art work. My favorite pieces include a sculpture of a classic photograph - Ron holding puppies in his Pacers' uniform, a Charlie Brown comic chronicling the crazy of Artest and an illustration featuring the infamous "kiss" between Paul Pierce and Ron Artest.
Amongst the madness at Narwhal, I managed to grab Ron for a few minutes to introduce myself so we were no longer only Twitter friends. It was nice to hear that he read the blog and has an interest in my other work I do in the sports fashion realm. We both agreed that his outfit, while not great, was better than most of his effort when out in public. He wore a Ballin' hoodie and a pair of baggy, dark jeans that despite his 6'8 frame pooled at least a few inches above his feet. How he found jeans that long, I'll never know! While it's nice to get comments and support from fellow media members and fans, it's really exciting when the subjects I write about are also into my work and want to collaborate in the future. It may seem cliche, but it's extra motivation for me to keep writing and styling in my niche market and hopefully, will lead to a few NBA players on client roster down the line. Ron made a speech, too - did you know he majored in art and architectural at Saint John's before transferring to math, since it was easier? Ron lived up to the hype of being just a normal yet strange guy who also happens to have an NBA championship under his belt. He took time to speak to all the artists, pose with fans and share stories. He left relatively early and it was neat to see all kinds of people excited to meet Ron and celebrate his unique style and life experiences.
The event was a success. Press from all over North American picked up the story and most, if not all, of the art was snatched up as well. It's not everyday that an art show can have such a specific focus, especially on one subject who is outside of the arts world, be a hit with so many markets. It's also proof that it pays to be original - the artists, some not even NBA fans and crowd alike, were all inspired and entertained with a tale of redemption, charity, and crazy. Keep doing you, Ron!
If you want to learn more about the exhibit, check out the Narwhal Art Projects website or read Eric Koreen's excellent article "Artestic Expression" on the show for the National Post. Thanks to my best girl and photographer Loni Schick for graciously letting me use her pictures for this post (I will get your Lakers toaster soon - promise!).
DQM's Miami Meat Tee is incredibly appropriate
The new Miami Heat team is a publicity beast of epic proportions and many clothing companies are trying to cash in on the hype. However, my new favorite Heat inspired item dropped well before Bosh, Wade and James decided to unite under Pat Riley. This "Miami Meat" tee comes thanks to Russ Bengtson's epic storage locker of kicks and other basketball paraphernalia (I'm convinced 'Sheed is hiding out there in his trademark cutoff sweatpants). Dave's Quality Meat, better known as DQM, is a shop, brand and collaborative company in New York City, founded by professional skateboarder, Chris Keefe. DQM released the shirt a few years ago, likely when the shop opened in 2003, but there's no word on a re-print of the design. The graphic is simple, clean and almost too appropriate considering everyone wants a bite of the Heat this season. Deep fried pork knee ala Bosh, anyone?
Ron Artest’s Best Fashion Moments
It's an understatement to say that Ron Artest is not your average NBA player. You may not enjoy his on-court and off-court antics, but he's without question authentic and more often than not, memorable. Ron's self-confessed crazy seems to trickle down to his wardrobe at times, especially when he's a guest on late night television shows. If the clothes make the man, what does RonRon's wardrobe say about him?
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9pk6GzJjTM]
For his most recent late night appearance on Larry King, Ron's wardrobe gave the impression of a slightly more grown up version of the Lakers' defensive specialist. He wore a slightly over-sized navy suit and white shirt with a paisley tie that looks like it comes from the Craig Sager collection. Is Artest changing his style? Was it because he wanted Mr. King and the CNN audience to take what he was saying more seriously? After all, he is auctioning off his championship ring to help to mental health. And, of course, he was plugging his rap career. During his chat with Larry, I had to contemplate on where this outfit ranked on Ron's greatest late night garbs. Take a look, and let me know what you think.
RonRon is a regular on Jimmy Kimmel Live, the Los Angeles-based late night talk show. (It should also be noted that Kimmel airs on ABC - the parent company to NBA broadcaster, ESPN). For his most recent visit with Jimmy before the season began, Ron went as random as possible: fake beard, cowboy hat, a t-shirt advertising his iPhone app, compression shorts, a sling backpack and socks with slippers. I really have not much to say about his outfit other than it was a disaster of epic yet entertaining proportions. You can't fault a man who also promotes his product - how many players actually wear their ap on their uhm, chest?
When the Lakers won the NBA championship last season, it was only fitting that they went on Jimmy Kimmel to celebrate. While the rest of his teammates took the opportunity to dress well but, Ron not surprisingly, skewed far too casual....bed time, casual. Ron wear a pair of Lakers' coloured argyle print pants, a Sports Enemy LA Rifle logo tee, a pair of black and yellow Nike Dunk High's and a Starwood Hotel's black hat. Instead of accessorizing with a more suitable item, like a watch or ring, Ron went straight to the BlueTooth headset. Does the man not understand he has voicemail on his phone? His excuse was pure Artest: "I didn't go to bed yet...I need to shower baaaad". Ron is repping his new home but he stays straight out of the hood, or maybe on the way to the grocery store with this look. The ensemble made an interesting compliment to Kobe Bryant's futuristic and Rick Ownes' designer jacket and shades. But it could be worse.
Chelsea Handler was another stop on the championship train for RonRon. She's known for her brutal sense of humor and love of chocolate (not the food). While Ron was excited about his new ring, he acted as though he wanted to put that ring on Ms. Handler's finger. His very bright patterned pants were covered in Chelsea's face, but why? “Well you know, I’ve been trying to get into your pants for a long time and I heard you were playing hard to get, so I had to put you on my pants“. She responded “Well you heard wrong because I am easy to get“. An entertaining interview, to say the least. Perhaps he also left his shoes at home so he could be even closer to Chelsea's small stature. The printed shirt is also ridiculous with the pants - although anything he wore would have clashed. It certainly made for an interesting interview and introduction for the two.
The most memorable of all Ron Artest's late night ensembles is without question, his boxers only appearance on Kimmel. Obviously, Artest is a favorite of Kimmel (with good reason) and I'm sure he gained more female fans with this wardrobe choice (malfunction?). Artest is the only athlete who could come out in only his underwear and fans wouldn't question his intent. He's always so enthusiastic and loves to entertain, so we can all sit back and enjoy his personality. Obviously he's just as open with his personality and mind as he is with his body! There's not a whole to say about this look as there isn't much to it garment wise, but nice boxers?
I would like to see Artest wear more of what he sported at Lamar and Khloe Kardashian's Odom's wedding. The black pinstripe suit fits him well and is classic, while the backwards New Era hat and loose tie screams that he's still the kid from Queensbridge. Personal style is all about showing yourself through your clothes and how you present yourself. I think this look is the perfect balance between the Los Angeles ball player and the New York guy from the "hood". Ron is proud of his roots and I don't think he should ever deny it or stop being himself. Keep thanking your psychiatrist, stealing Wheaties' boxes and guarding opposing players with your life, RonRon - just please, if you feel like doing it in better fabrics and in a well-fitting clothes - call me. I promise not to dress you in leather or fur, as I know you're a PETA spokeperson as well. Your signature style deserves to be as on point as your enthusiasm for life and the game of basketball.
