The NBA has long been intertwined with the fashion world, but Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has taken that truth to the next level.
Ever since the 2018 NBA Draft night, when he wore a beautiful floral suit, the Canadian-born guard has been one of the more sartorially inclined basketball players. But over the last several years, the Oklahoma City Thunder star has become well-known for his interest in aesthetics.
In fact, GQ voters named Gilgeous-Alexander the most stylish player in the league in 2022. This a crown that he wears with pride, and he is now a fixture at events like Paris Fashion Week.
Gilgeous-Alexander, who has a sneaker deal with Converse, recently starred in a unique campaign for the company. Learn more about why Converse has plans to re-create its niche by aligning with outspoken basketball stars.
The music in the spot was executive produced by Tyler, The Creator. Gilgeous-Alexander appears alongside a wide-ranging group of talented folks including Vince Staples (a musician and actor from Long Beach) and Turnstile (a hardcore punk band from Baltimore).
For The Win caught up with Gilgeous-Alexander to speak about the campaign. He also discussed his vision for Oklahoma City’s future, his experience at Paris Fashion Week, drawing inspiration from Virgil Abloh and Allen Iverson and plenty more.
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
How does it unlock the game to have so many tall-ball handlers in Oklahoma City?
SGA: It makes the game easier, especially defensively, playing alongside guys with size who can switch multiple positions and do multiple things. To get to where we want to go, we have to be that team that is versatile because that is where the league is going. Teams are big, but they are playing without bigs. They can switch from one through five. They can do multiple things to drum up the game. I think we’re obviously not where we want to be right now. But getting that foundation in early is going to lead us on the right path, and I think that’s where we are going to go.
What can you tell me about the talented rookie class that will soon make its debut?
SGA: The first thing that jumps out is that they’re all competitors. They all came to training camp and usually, rookies come in timid and quiet and shy. But these guys, none of them were like that. They came in right away, ready to compete, picking guys up full court. They didn’t look at us like they were the young guys coming in. They were ready to play basketball. I think that is the mindset you need to have as a young team going against veterans in the league. That will give us a head start.
FTW: Who is the best-dressed player in that group that you’ve seen so far?
SGA: Ooooooh. [Sighs] I don’t know yet! We haven’t had an official game yet. So guys are just chilling and walking around the facility. But I’ll know after that first week of the season, for sure.
I love your sneaker deal with Converse. What are the latest updates from that?
SGA: One of the things that I like to implement is being different and creative and trying new things. I like trying to set trends, whether it’s in basketball with my game or with my fashion. I just try to be different and stand out from the group. Our recent campaign met that alignment and the shoot was super fun and I had a blast.
FTW: Walk me through the fit that you wore for the shoot.
SGA: I had on CDG shorts, dressier shorts, almost like slacks that were cut off. The coat was Tom Ford. I was going to wear a t-shirt underneath it, but I wanted to show my chains and put my flair on it. I had some pink Chuck Taylor’s to go with the shorts.
FTW: Did you have any unique takeaways from the experience?
SGA: The biggest thing with Converse is that they’re great people. They’re super talented. I think the biggest thing is that they let me be who I am and trust me with that and let me take it wherever I take it. That can be hard to find, especially in the shoe world. I’m lucky to have found it. Converse is definitely next in creative and basketball. They were all great people — easy to work with, made it fun, and made the time fly. They’re also super talented. You can see that by how it turned out. They were all great. I got friends, for sure. They were fun to be around. I got the inspiration to keep going and to take it a step further.
You were cast by Virgil Abloh in the LV x NBA collection. What did you learn?
SGA: The biggest thing with him was that he was never afraid to test the boundaries. That was his biggest thing when speaking to him. I use that approach no matter what area it is: fashion or whatever I’m trying to do. I may fail at something but eventually, I’m going to get it right. That is something big. That was the biggest thing I got from going back and forth with him. He wasn’t afraid to test things and to try to take things a step further.
On the topic of influences: What role did Allen Iverson play in your life?
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander pulled up in an Allen Iverson stepover hoodie 🤭
Ty Lue and the Clippers are playing OKC tonight.
(via @okcthunder) pic.twitter.com/dFxOhRQ5OC
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) March 3, 2020
SGA: Yeah! On the court, he was obviously super electric. He had the crowd buzzing every time he stepped on the floor. He was an extreme talent. He amazed the world. Off the court, when he challenged the dress code and went against the norm, that goes back to what I said before about not being scared to challenge the boundaries. That was one of the main reasons why A.I. is who he is. He was never scared to be himself, no matter the situation. That set him apart from the group.
What should young players do to figure out what “being themselves” really means?
SGA: I always tell them, if I do have a conversation with them, I say, “No matter what, you can’t try to be someone you’re not because then you won’t have fun with it.” So I tell them, “Whatever you’re comfortable in and whatever it is you like, what you want to try, do it. Whatever you think looks good, do it. You’ll figure it out along the way. You’ll see what works and what doesn’t work. You’ll have your own style.” For me, I’ve gotten to where I’ve gotten because when I do it, I think it looks good. I don’t do it to look for someone’s approval or do it to check a box. I do it because I’m comfortable in it or I think I look good in it.
Any highlights from Paris Fashion Week?
SGA: I was out there for a week. I did a lot of things. I went to a lot of shows. I met a lot of creative directors. That was cool to get to know the minds behind the brands that everybody is wearing. It’s crazy because most, if not all, are unique in their own way. They’re different in their own way. They stand out. I walked in a show at the end of the week. That was a super cool experience, it was different from my day job. It was fun and the guys back there were cool. It was just a whole process for a two-minute show. I didn’t realize they went through all of that just to walk two circles, but it was cool and fun and something I would definitely do again for sure.
FTW: What made you more nervous, that or a big game?
SGA: [Laughs] For sure the big game!
Do you see yourself having a career in fashion after you finish your playing career?
SGA: I’m not too sure where that road ends up or leads me to after I’m done playing. I haven’t been too focused on it. I’m just focused on getting better and playing. When that time comes, I’ll take advantage of it at the moment and enjoy it at that moment. I haven’t put too much thought into it but I do believe it will be for sure something in fashion.
Before you go, what did your phone look like when Drake posted you on Instagram?
Toronto Raptors Global Ambassador @Drake posted this photo of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in a Team Canada jersey on IG 👀
Earlier today, reports surfaced that Toronto is monitoring Shai's situation with the OKC Thunder. pic.twitter.com/YoCJ1iZYN8
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) September 29, 2022
SGA: [Laughs] It wasn’t too crazy. It wasn’t what you would think it would be. Me and him are cool. He’s a cool guy. He’s a really good guy. I’ve been on his Instagram story multiple times, so I don’t think it was like a first-time thing. My phone wasn’t too crazy. People have seen it before.
