rating 10 tunnel fits from NBA opening week 🏀
dictator chic, pleather overalls, and Willy Chavarria
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This year, we were left with only one day—an unseasonably hot Monday—between the WNBA’s final post-season game and the official start of the NBA season. On Tuesday evening, the tunnel fits began anew. I’ve limited myself to commentary on ten outfits, mostly from Tuesday and Wednesday evening. We’ll go from worst to best!
JAYLEN BROWN: 1/10. I feel comfortable putting Jaylen Brown at the beginning (bottom) of this list because he’s at the top of every other list in the world. I’m only punching up with this one! I know they were doing the ring ceremony and the banner-raising, but this is still such a corny way to show up to the first game of the season. It’s like wearing the band t-shirt to the concert. We all know why you’re here. They literally got new custom championship jackets during the ceremony! Jaylen Brown does know how to dress well (evidence below)—he could have gone for something sharp and classic, or played with proportion or texture, all of which he’s done in past tunnel fits. But he had to wear the championship jacket. Nothing makes me want to root for the underdog more than seeing something like this. Maybe he’s still annoyed by the Olympics snub…?
MIKAL BRIDGES: 2/10. I’m getting first day of school in 1999 vibes, Limited Too cargo pants and big white Skechers, wearing all your new clothes together even though you know you should spread them out over the first week. Even his dopp kit looks like a lunch box (albeit a very expensive, cool, custom one)! The pants are interesting, but the silkier fabric feels at odds with the stiffer cotton of his shirt. If he’d changed into a blazer or a leather jacket instead, I think it could have been a hit.
JAYSON TATUM: 3/10. I see that he’s chosen to continue with the ‘military coup’-style matching sets, this time in one from Bottega Veneta. I cannot stop laughing at the tweet below.
ANTHONY DAVIS: 4/10. It’s fine? He’s always liked a slimmer pants silhouette. And are those gold Louis Vuitton sneakers? I don’t know, it kind of just feels like a photo of a Russell Westbrook outfit from 2018 with the color saturation turned down…
JRUE HOLIDAY: 5/10. Honestly, I love this for Jrue Holiday. He hasn’t always been daring with his tunnel fits (relying on the classic sweatsuit sets and nice sneakers, which is fine!) so I’m happy to see him branching out. I’m also a bit worried about how sweaty this is gonna be to change back into?!? This is a fun opening night look, though, and he’s accessorized it well—the backwards baseball cap, the layered necklaces, the matte white watchband.
TYRESE HALIBURTON: 6/10. Tyrese Haliburton is definitely reading fashion Substack, right? I could easily see
in this outfit! I’m pretty sure this is a Prada jacket and bag and a pair of Bottega Veneta boots. Chic. I would absolutely wear this.
NICKEIL ALEXANDER-WALKER: 7/10. If you just described this outfit, it might sound a little Pinterest-y—a slightly oversized blazer, basketball shorts, Sambas, zillennial-length socks—but the way it's executed feels cohesive and fresh. (Also, I love that the Timberwolves use this VSCO-esque filter on all their Instagram photos.)
KARL-ANTHONY TOWNS: 8/10. I love this. The Converse sneakers are a departure from the chunkier, more modern sneaker silhouettes of late (and a little scuffed up, which is also a departure). There’s a bit of sparkle from the necklaces and the Louis Vuitton bedazzled logo. The trousers are roomy. The color palette is muted, but not boring: there’s navy, cream, white, brown, black, and a bit of green from the baseball cap. He looks comfortable.
JORDAN CLARKSON: 9/10. This has to be Willy Chavarria, right? Also looks a bit like Loewe women’s F/W 2024, but judging by the exaggerated shoulders (and the fact that Clarkson was at the show in early September), I’m guessing it’s Willy Chavarria.
MILES MCBRIDE: 10/10. The Knicks might have lost their first game of the season, but Miles McBride won. Let’s dissect this outfit: we’ve got a collared shirt, untucked, and a black tie, visible only at the collar. A geometric leather jacket in dark red (an SSENSE exclusive, of course). Dark brown trousers, some patent leather dress shoes, and I think I spy a Louis Vuitton Damier clutch in his hand. His hair is a perfectly faded shade of reddish-orange, and unencumbered by a sweatband. The intimacy of the untucked shirt paired with the formality of the fully buttoned jacket is perfect.
One other thing I noticed: Louis Vuitton dopp kits were all over these tunnels! I noticed Miles McBride, Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart, and Donovan Mitchell with Louis Vuitton dopp kits, and I’m sure I’ve missed a couple. I know Louis Vuitton and the NBA started collaborating a few years ago, but I feel like I haven’t seen this specific item photographed as frequently in years past.
P.S. If you’re new here, and want more basketball fashion coverage, here are two pieces from earlier this year that I think you’ll enjoy!
the joy of the NBA tunnel fit
The first basketball game I ever watched in full was during March Madness in 2019. The reason for my sudden interest was a bracket challenge that the CEO at my previous job had initiated—on the line was a $250 flight voucher. I’d never been a sports person, but I am unfortunately someone who loves to win, and I spent several hours poring over available …
walking the impossible tightrope
I should preface this by saying that I have not been as informed and enthusiastic of a fan of the WNBA for as long as I have enjoyed the NBA (or MNBA). (Come back to me in a couple years, though, because I’m diving in!) However, I do feel the need to clarify that I was not solely pulled in by Caitlin Clark’s ascent to household name status. My friend Em…
OTHER SOURCES
https://incorporatedstyle.com/image-outfits/best-outfits-from-week-1-of-the-2024-nba-season/#google_vignette
https://athlonsports.com/nba/new-york-knicks/karl-anthony-town-louis-vuitton-pregame-outfit-stands-out-before-knicks-celtics
https://hypebae.com/2024/9/willy-chavarria-ss25-nyfw-welcome-to-america-noah-lyles-adidas
Gotta say, we love how Jaylen Brown is leaning into the Boston identity. The team swag is over the top, but it's emblematic of how much he's integrated into the community (not to brag, but that's how we made #1 on GQ's Worst Dressed City for several consecutive years - an accomplishment in and of itself). My sister works for the MFA and was his guide when he was working an event there and can confirm he's the realest. Truly cares about connecting underfunded communities to resources.
the KAT Knicks fits are going to be legendary this season