How NBA Stylists Created the Season’s Most Memorable Tunnel Fits
Over the years the NBA tunnel has become just as highly watched as the basketball games themselves, as players have used the platform as a way to show off their personal style.
This season, basketball players like Kyle Kuzma, Jordan Clarkson, P.J. Tucker, Chris Paul, Kevin Love and others have continued to make an impression on fans with their pre-game outfits, referred to as “tunnel fits.” Ranging from high-end designers to emerging labels, these athletes have created many viral fashion moments this season, thanks in part to the stylists they work with closely.
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“[The tunnel] allowed them to really exhibit how they feel, what they love and what they’re into — what their aesthetic could be or should be,” said Toreno Winn Jr., who styles Kuzma. “They get to write that narrative on a consistent basis. They have 82 games to show that, plus the playoffs. Playoffs are when the most eyes are on them.”
With the help of their stylists, many NBA athletes have used the tunnel to experiment with their style or show a more personal side.
On one end of the spectrum there are players like Paul and Love, who stick with a more classic style, according to their stylist Courtney Mays.
“It’s really important for me to lean into their authentic style sensibility,” said Mays, who also styles DeAndre Jordan. “Something that I’m really proud of is that all of my clients look completely different. I don’t think there is a mark that says, ‘Courtney Mays dressed them.’ It’s really about how can I elevate or accentuate the things they already love.”
She explained that Love’s style is “classic Americana,” favoring heritage designers, luxurious fabrics and denim styles from brands like Ralph Lauren, Zegna, Kith and Aimé Leon Dore.
Paul, on the other hand, leans more into athleisure for his tunnel looks. The Phoenix Suns player prefers to support emerging and Black designers with his looks, favoring brands like Todd Patrick and fellow NBA player Russell Westbrook’s line Honor the Gift. He has also become known for using his tunnel fits as a way to spotlight important issues or to support causes he believes in.
“He’s really about using fashion as a platform to speak to larger social issues, so we’ve been championing historically Black colleges and universities through his wardrobe,” Mays said. “He’s really interested in supporting scholarship and helping kids out in the education space, so let’s use those moments in the tunnel — those two seconds and that one photo — to really shine a light on historically Black colleges and universities.”
Tucker, who is styled by Kesha McLeod, is one of many NBA players whose sneakers are a hallmark of their style. McLeod’s styling strategy often revolves around Tucker’s impressive sneaker collection, as he regularly debuts new launches or wears unreleased styles during his tunnel walks.
“A lot of it revolves around the sneakers,” she said on why the Philadelphia 76ers’ style resonates with fans. “Inaccessible sneakers no one was able to get. He premiered certain sneakers, like the Fear of God he played in on the court, and certain styles he’s brought back, so that resonates with a whole other industry.”
On the other end of the style spectrum, players like Kuzma of the Washington Wizards and Torrey Craig of the Suns have become known for their more experimental and eye-catching looks, with both athletes regularly walking the tunnel shirtless or wearing more avant garde pieces.
“There’s nothing [Kuzma] is afraid of and I think his versatility is what scares people sometimes,” Winn Jr. said. “Maybe not scares people, but some people are like, he doesn’t have an aesthetic, and I think that’s the beauty of it all. If you can do multiple styles, it shows how you’re feeling that day. You’re not just playing a character and putting on a costume. If he’s feeling like a grungy rockstar, he’ll throw on skinny jeans, a leather jacket and some silver hardware. The next day, he can look like something out of an anime cartoon. I just love that you never know what you’re going to get with him.”
Kuzma has arguably made the biggest impression on spectators with his fashion. This season, the Washington Wizards player went viral for several of his tunnel fits, such as going shirtless under a rainbow knitted cardigan with a matching Marni balaclava or wearing an oversize Rick Owens puffer jacket.
Kuz.
that's it. that's the tweet. #DCAboveAll | @MichelobULTRA pic.twitter.com/l9GKZom2LF— Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) January 25, 2023
“One thing we spoke about was individuality and finding his voice in fashion and then creating his own persona that wasn’t tied to anyone else and really separating him from others,” Winn Jr. said about when he first started working with Kuzma. “You either love it or hate it. You force an opinion out of people. If you feel indifferent about his style, then we automatically lose. I know that people are going to feel one way or another and it doesn’t bother me. I don’t lose sleep about it. It’s cool if I can force people to feel a way — then we’re on the right track. It then becomes art more than it becomes just clothes you wear.”
For Craig, the Phoenix Suns player has worked closely with stylist and designer Layla Harte this season to lean into a more playful style, mixing patterns and bright colors and looking to emerging designers.
“It’s finding pieces that are eye-catching and also start conversations,” Harte said about creating viral tunnel fits. “The first outfit we did where he had the open vest, he had just gotten a bunch of tattoos on his chest and stomach, so that was a big moment. People don’t often not wear a shirt in the tunnel. In order to create those viral moments, you have to constantly be looking for the newest design or the next trend. Being on that wave before everybody else.”
While many of these tunnel fits go viral, the stylists stated there’s no one formula to creating a viral outfit; however, authenticity is a key component in styling a look that resonates with NBA fans.
“When it comes to viral outfits, there’s a difference in a way,” Winn Jr. said. “You kind of know that people are going to talk, but you don’t know that they’re going to — like an example, you know a song is going to be on the radio, but you don’t know if it’s going to go number one. I feel like you don’t really know until shortly after when you hear people buzzing. With the tunnel, it’s more of a touch-and-go moment. It’s here and then it’s gone, and not many [looks] stay in people’s minds, but the consistency does.”
Launch Gallery: A Closer Look at the NBA 2023 Season Tunnel Fits
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