The Most Stylish Teams in the NBA Right Now

We conducted a deep dive into pre- and post-game ensembles, and a meticulous plunge into the depths of our favorite players' social media pages. Here are the most stylish teams in the NBA right now.

This is a photo of John Wall.
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john-wall

This is a photo of John Wall.

There is no ruler to measure swag, no test to diagnose hypebeast levels, no scale to weigh amount of fucks given when it comes to NBA fashion. Case in point, Sir Tim Duncan — arguably the best power forward to ever step on the hardwood, inarguably the most careless dresser to put ink to a multimillion-dollar contract. Tangible measurements such as production on the court or money in the bank have shown to have zero correlation with style. With this in mind, we’ve taken it upon ourselves to do the proper research.

The analysis of the WHOLE roster, top to bottom, was the key factor in our study. Neither the consistent class of Dwyane Wade nor the high-fashion elitism of Russell Westbrook alone are enough to boost their respective teams to the top of the NBA chic-standings. The most stylish teams in the league happen to be just that — teams. We found that not only do the stars on these particular rosters take it upon themselves to groom properly on game days and beyond, but the role players and towel wavers also contribute flavor of their own.

We conducted a deep dive into pre- and post-game ensembles, along with a meticulous plunge into the depths of social media pages. All of this to reveal what we’ve all been wondering — whose IG pages do I need to creep on to discover the inspiration for my next fit? Or better yet, which teams are the most stylish in the NBA? Hereafter, no doubt will remain.

The Washington Wizards have come to be a pleasant surprise. The leaders of the squad, John Wall and Bradley Beal, have proven to be forces both on and off the court. Before John laces his Adidas to cook defenders on the floor, he carefully heats up his arrival look to include high-fashion brands like Gucci and Louis Vuitton. Although Wall has also been caught dribbling in some streetwear brands like Fear of God, Beal pretty much has the handle on that.

john-wall-arrival

Beal likes to mix up the streetwear with the high fashion—running the Dolce and Gabbana “Jurassic Park” joint with the Nike AirMax Plus. Or the Gucci with the Off-White Blazers. See what he’s doing there? Touchè, brotha. 

bradley-beal

What really puts the Wizards on this list isn’t just their all stars. The Wizards have an array of players who tap into their inner Tyson Beckford x Ralph Lauren shit when they walk the tunnels of NBA arenas. Kelly Oubre consistently does his thing in the Grease pants, letting the ankles breathe and occasionally rocking the big faux fur-collared leather jackets up top. Tim Frazier has an original style that includes, but is not limited to, the Canadian tuxedo with the Bape hoodie underneath. Ian Mahinmi holds it down for the bigs whenever Gortat decides not to carry his weight, although Gortat has been known to throw together the tailored suit whenever the groundhog decides to peek its head.

This is a photo of Kelly Oubre Jr.

Lastly, wildcard Mike Scott rocks the hockey jerseys, tagged with a favorable Jordan collection. Not too many dudes are on their hockey jersey swag, so having a pioneer in that domain is enough to make this squad a fashion force to be reckoned with.

mike-scott

Although the Nets have not had a winning record in the past three seasons and that streak is set to continue in this season, they have had some bright spots on the pregame runway. Much of this is thanks to D’Angelo Russell, who brought his flare from LA to Brooklyn this past off-season. D Russ has proven to be more than satisfactory in his ability to throw his outfits together in a seemingly effortless way. Consider how he put denim on denim atop the Malcolm X tee, with the messenger bag and Raf Simons on his feet. Yeah bro, he gets it.

dangelo-russell-arrival

DeMarre Carroll has brought some chic down from the 6, as well. He’s dabbled in the large overcoat on several occasions, while making crucial choices with his footwear and accessories. Hopefully he digs as deep in his bag on the court this year as he has in his wardrobe.

This is a photo of Demarre Carroll.

Philly acquisition Jahlil Okafor seems to be able to hold his own on some nights. Our man J Lin has taken on a whole new swag since being in Brooklyn, including the dreads (if you haven’t read his reasoning for that hairstyle, you need to). He’s stepped it up big time since his Harvard/Knicks days. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson also does his thing, putting together a range of pieces, from the $1,300 Gucci sweater to the $85 Herschel duffle. Gotta respect the versatility. Last but not least, you’ve got sharpshooter and fellow Golden Bear Allen Crabbe, who owns the cloak/cardigan look with the boots. Accurate shots on and off the court—go Bears.

allen-crabbe

The Lakers are starting to get cozy on the list, appearing for their second year straight. Although they lost several of their heavy hitters, like D Russ, Swaggy P, and Jordan Clarkson, perennial swagsters Brandon Ingram and Julius Randle have almost seamlessly kept the team’s steelo status in the upper echelons. 

This is a photo of Lakers player Brandon Ingram.

While the addition of rookie Kyle Kuzma has been good for LA’s win percentage, it’s also been good for their wins in the tunnels. Kyle goes from flannel-wrapped waist to turtled neck with fluidity. He’s also been photographed in a T-Boz tee, which is notable in and of itself. Kuzma said Lonzo Ball is the worst-dressed player in the league. We thought that was a joke, but it’s not. Big Baller Brand is cool, though—shoutout to both black and athlete ownership.

kyle-kuzma

Making their debut on the list are the Memphis Grizzlies. Gone are Marc Gasol’s fresh-outta-Euro days of wearing extra baggy Big Dog trousers tagged with overflowing button-downs. Gasol has joined his fashionable mates in the movement and is now rocking wool cardigans and slouchy beanies, while occasionally assembling slim jeans and Chelsea boots. With a 7’1”, 255-pound frame to work with, he gets major props from us.

marc-gasol

Chandler Parsons drives this squad’s fashion machine though, and he may be alone at the top as the swaggiest white dude in the league. However, it’s not the flashy brand recognition or hyped sneaks that headline his fits. He simply has the ability to simultaneously dress differently, and dress well. Whether it’s the severely unbuttoned button-up, cooling down the taco meat with some subtle ice, or the capri pants and exclusive kicks you’ve never seen, Parsons’ style innovation has been consistent throughout his career, and this year with Memphis has been no different.

This is a photo of Chandler Parsons

In the same way he dishes the rock to Parsons for the 3-ball, Mike Conley has shown that he can dish out solid fits on a nightly basis, too, while occasionally throwing the no-look alley-oop that leaves the crowd screaming in awe. See this ensemble at the 2017 ESPYs.

mike-conley

Finishing off the Conley’s style lobs, Tyreke Evans has taken it upon himself to make statements in his streetwear looks by paying homage to NBA greats with throwback joints. Supplementing the look with ripped jeans and sometimes interrupting the pattern with a Gucci sweater, Evans gains mad respect for using childhood idols like A.I. or T Mac to fuel his fashion statements. Sometimes—scratch that, all the time—it’s about the thought that was put into the fit.

tyreke-evans

No surprise here. Topping our list for the second year in a row are the Cleveland Cavaliers. Although the recent shakeup of the roster leaves many unknowns on the floor, there should be no confusion about what this team has to contribute to the dialogue of style. King James leads the way, transcending many players in the league with the realization that everyone doesn’t always need to know what brand you are wearing. Sometimes you have to leave it to the imagination and the gurus. Bron also has a pair of Off-White 1’s customized by Virgil Abloh himself. Rare. Moving on.

lebron-james

Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson both have proven themselves to be able to board a multitude of looks, pun intended. Love tends to operate on the classier, GQ side, though he does take the occasional risk with some color blockage or exclusive footwear to complement his slacks. Thompson, on the other hand, may be the most slept on in the league, fashion-wise. To all our dogs above 6’7” wondering where, oh where, you might find swag to fit your forgotten-about dimensions, just take a scroll over to Double T’s IG page. Then, of course, there’s JR Smith, who is hella original. Whether he’s in overalls or booted down to the oxfords, JR’s range makes him a fundamental piece to the Cavs’ ability to remain on this list.

jr-smith

However, it is the addition of Jordan Clarkson that has helped the Cavs cement their position at the top. Clarkson has said he aspires to be a fashion designer, his pregame garb proves it. He has a street style that combines a variety of designers like Gucci, Stampd, North Face, and Supreme. He brings the inaccessible big baller-type pieces together with ones that can be copped by those big balling on a budget.

This is a photo of Jordan Clarkson.

Clarkson is yet another example of how, though it can help, money does not necessarily correlate to style. So to those getting down and dirty in Zara or exploring the H&M jungles, don’t fret. Take some tips from the NBA’s most stylish squad and get to work.

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