'The secret sauce': Inside the closets of superstars SGA and Tyrese Haliburton

CAMERAS LINED THE player's entranceway to Paycom Arena, bursting with flashes arsenic Indiana's prima defender made his anticipated arrival to Game 1 of the NBA Finals.

Tyrese Haliburton wore an off-white Carhartt button-down jacket, achromatic pants, achromatic shoes and sunglasses. Haliburton's accessory of prime for the biggest crippled of his life? His debut signature sneakers, the Puma Hali 1, designed by Salehe Bembury successful a hibiscus colorway.

Nearly an hr later, the hallway lit up again arsenic the league MVP made his minute-long stride to the locker room. Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander walked successful with airy blue-tinted sunglasses, wearing a comfy grey garment overgarment and his "Masi Blue" SHAI 001 Converses successful grant of his younger brother, Thomasi.

The MVP's connection piece? A Chanel cross-body bag, enhanced by a pearl-detailed strap and complemented by another, smaller cross-body mini bag.

"Shai's been doing it since helium came to the league," Haliburton told ESPN astir his Thunder counterpart. "He is benignant of similar the undisputed king of [NBA fashion]."

Gilgeous-Alexander and Haliburton aren't conscionable 2 prima constituent guards who person driven the Thunder and Pacers to a 2-2 necktie successful the NBA Finals, they are besides 2 of the league's astir fashionable players, known for their unsocial styles and decorator outfits that are conscionable arsenic versatile arsenic their games.

While some constituent guards are laser-focused connected winning their archetypal championship, for themselves and their teams, Gilgeous-Alexander and Haliburton are among the players who person brought a haute couture consciousness to this small-market NBA Finals showdown.

In the metropolis wherever Russell Westbrook, James Harden and Serge Ibaka utilized to strut their finest fits, Gilgeous-Alexander -- on with teammates specified arsenic Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren -- has Oklahoma City backmost arsenic the NBA's manner capital. And for Haliburton, acutely alert of this moment, helium is utilizing this Finals to beryllium doubters incorrect and crook heads with his clutch crippled and his manner style.

"OKC is simply a legendary passageway with Russ and what Shai's doing," Haliburton told ESPN past week connected the eve of Game 1.

"OKC is decidedly 1 of everybody's favourite tunnels."

WESTBROOK USED TO roam this aforesaid passageway wearing thing and everything from a COOGI crewneck to Saint Laurent boots.

It seemed arsenic though helium would spell to immoderate magnitude for manner -- adjacent if it meant ripping holes into jeans and sewing pieces, often purchased disconnected the rack.

"My ma utilized to sew, truthful I utilized to watch," Westbrook told ESPN during the 2023-24 season. "So if I rip something, if I chopped it similar I chopped my jeans, I chopped it up myself successful the room.

"I tin sew it by manus [with a needle]. I ain't done it successful a while, but I tin besides [sew] it by instrumentality arsenic well, too."

Gilgeous-Alexander -- the archetypal Thunder constituent defender to pb Oklahoma City to the Finals since Westbrook's 2012 squad -- carries the existent NBA's unofficial manner crown.

"Shai is acknowledged beauteous wide arsenic the reigning king of NBA style," said Wall Street Journal newsman Sam Schube, formerly GQ's sports director. "He's the feline who's truly picked up the mantle from LeBron [James], Allen Iverson, Dwyane Wade and Russ. He's the adjacent dude. ... Shai's benignant of his ain world. It doesn't truly consciousness similar he's playing the aforesaid crippled arsenic everybody else.

"I don't cognize however overmuch Chanel you're seeing successful the NBA tunnel. That conscionable tells you that that feline knows precisely what helium wants to deterioration and feels large astir doing it ... to instrumentality a truly classical fancy French woman women's deterioration marque and twist it arsenic an NBA subordinate is like, 'Ooh yeah.' You're feeling bully astir yourself."

Gilgeous-Alexander is successful the midst of a legendary season. He's won the regular-season scoring title, MVP, the Western Conference Finals MVP and is moving toward a imaginable Finals MVP.

Westbrook, who won league MVP with the Thunder successful the 2016-2017 season, is known to assistance outfit his teammates by taking them shopping, buying suits oregon apparel for them and passing connected benignant tips. Now with the Denver Nuggets, Westbrook has kept immoderate of his much memorable outfits, from past Met Galas to his wedding and draught nighttime suits.

These days, helium wears mostly his ain manner brand, Honor The Gift. The 17-year seasoned dons a antithetic outfit to each crippled and past gives his apparel to either friends, students astatine his Westbrook Academy oregon charity.

"I thatch them fashion, but being affordable," Westbrook said of his buying excursions with teammates. "I'm not large connected having young guys spell to [Louis] Vuitton and [Christian] Dior and spending $2,000 connected stuff. I'm large connected thrift shopping. That's however I was brought up. My ma was the 1 that taught and helped maine recognize astir being capable to person what you person but besides looking bully with what you have. And that's wherefore I was capable to make my ain brand."

Now, OKC has different MVP making waves successful the manner world. At 26, Gilgeous-Alexander walked the runway successful Thom Browne's amusement astatine Paris Men's Fashion Week successful 2022. He is simply a erstwhile GQ Most Stylish Man of the Year and is Converse Basketball's originative director.

"The European Fashion Week travel has go benignant of a container to cheque if you're a pro athlete," Schube said. "But it's hard to retrieve guys walking successful a Thom Browne amusement extracurricular of Shai. He appears to person existent relationships with immoderate of these designers and benignant of studies the trade arsenic it were successful a mode that immoderate of his peers don't."

It's nary wonderment it took him astir 40 minutes to assemble "eight to 9 outfits" earlier the Finals successful lawsuit the title bid goes the region with alternate options.

"Before each series, I program retired my outfits for sure," Gilgeous-Alexander told ESPN. "I don't cognize if you've noticed, but each circular I've debuted a caller colorway of my [Converse] shoe. Round 1, each the outfits were centered astir the grey shoes. And past Round 2, they were centered astir the achromatic shoes. Round 3, the clay shoes. And this circular would beryllium the bluish shoes."

LIKE WHEN WESTBROOK, Harden and Ibaka turned Oklahoma City's pregames into a modeling runway, Gilgeous-Alexander isn't the lone fashion-conscious Thunder player. Williams, Holmgren and Lu Dort, each cardinal performers connected the second-youngest squad to scope the NBA Finals, person besides expressed themselves done their pregame fashion.

Williams is particularly not shy to origin a commotion, erstwhile wearing an all-black headpiece that covered his full caput with three cushioned rows crossed his face.

He was fined $25,000 by the NBA for wearing covering with profane connection connected it successful his second-round Game 7 postgame media session.

"I accidental my benignant close now, it's baggy," Williams told ESPN. "But it's besides conscionable me, immoderate I'm feeling. So if I'm feeling lazy, I'm not acrophobic to deterioration pajamas. I'm not acrophobic to beryllium comfortable."

For Game 1 of the Finals, Williams, 24, went with a vintage relaxed look with a 90's feel, sporting a achromatic and pinkish zip-up hoodie overgarment with a hat, a graphic T-shirt featuring Michael Jackson disconnected the "Dangerous" medium cover, baggy jeans and a "Pinky and the Brain" soft-sided luncheon bag.

"This is similar a classical Gen Z chill kid outfit," Schube said. "Big sneakers, elephantine jeans, small garment and past a trucker chapeau that looks similar possibly you could person gotten it astatine a state station, but I'm definite it costs a 1000 dollars. And is helium carrying a luncheon box? This could not beryllium much of a Gen Z outfit."

Holmgren, 23, besides values comfort, calling his benignant "casual but classy" portion besides wearing immoderate helium feels assured in. For Game 1, helium wore a achromatic hoodie, sunglasses and pants. He admits helium and the MVP are successful antithetic manner leagues.

"It's not a contention due to the fact that the fund isn't the same," Holmgren told ESPN of Gilgeous-Alexander, who signed a five-year, $172-million hold successful 2021. "That's a unsafe crippled to effort to play. So I don't adjacent effort to play it.

"I look astatine them arsenic manner professionals," Holmgren said of Gilgeous-Alexander and Williams. "And I'm much of a manner hobbyist."

Williams admits he's not connected the MVP's level, either. Gilgeous-Alexander took Williams buying successful New York during the forward's rookie play successful 2022-23. Williams saw firsthand the manner connections Gilgeous-Alexander had arsenic the 2 teammates shopped astatine decorator stores that Williams couldn't spend backmost then. Williams mostly watched Gilgeous-Alexander store that day.

"The archetypal time, it wasn't that fun," Williams said of that buying acquisition with Gilgeous-Alexander.

"I conscionable person much wealth present truthful I tin benignant of support up."

Williams said it ne'er gets competitory betwixt Thunder teammates erstwhile it comes to who has the champion outfits. The mode the MVP sees it, he's dishing retired manner assists to his teammates.

"It doesn't truly get competitive," Gilgeous-Alexander told ESPN arsenic politely arsenic helium could erstwhile asked if determination are immoderate manner battles. "I don't privation to dependable similar ... they're like, those are my kids successful presumption of fashion. I showed them what to bash and what not to do."

It's wherefore Oklahoma City is erstwhile again the manner epicenter of the NBA.

"You bash not deliberation of Oklahoma City arsenic the astir fashionable spot connected Earth," Schube said. "And yet there's thing successful the h2o there. They're a tiny market. [GM] Sam Presti, who built some of those teams, is evidently a feline who knows however to beryllium originative and flexible erstwhile it comes to gathering a roster. And that means uncovering young players and empowering them.

"And truthful you get these young dudes who are conscionable perfectly dripping and it happens to beryllium successful Oklahoma City."

BEFORE GAME 6 of the Eastern Conference finals, Haliburton walked into Gainbridge Fieldhouse looking similar helium was dressed for a funeral. As the Pacers were poised to adjacent retired the New York Knicks, Haliburton arrived successful a crisp all-black outfit with sunglasses portion carrying a achromatic duffle bag.

Ben Stiller, histrion and die-hard Knicks fan, reposted a video of Haliburton's locomotion with immoderate trash talk.

"Good happening helium brought his duffel for the formation to NY," Stiller wrote connected X, hoping the Knicks would unit a Game 7.

Haliburton eliminated the Knicks with 21 points and 13 assists successful the 125-108 Pacers' win, and the constituent defender gave Stiller -- who spoofed antheral supermodels successful his drama "Zoolander" -- a cleanable response.

"Nah, was to battalion y'all up," Haliburton wrote backmost connected X.

The Pacers constituent defender is simply a monolithic wrestling instrumentality and lives to travel disconnected the apical enactment with his manner ensembles. He's cognizant of however immoderate arena tunnels are much high-profile than others, similar Madison Square Garden's ramp. As Schube points out, Haliburton seems to beryllium "aware of however this is each going to play connected societal media" and "of the communicative and theatrics of it all."

"Good style," Gilgeous-Alexander said of Haliburton. "Above all, helium wears it. He embraces his benignant and doesn't attraction what anyone other thinks. He conscionable wears it. And that's each you tin truly bash is, 'I'm going to spell successful my closet and person my 8 outfits that I deliberation are fire'... each you tin bash is spot your consciousness and deterioration it with confidence."

Haliburton, 25, is utilized to proceeding the bully and the atrocious connected societal media astir his benignant choices. Whether it's going for a "Peaky Blinders" look oregon wearing a Prada trench overgarment that drew comparisons to Inspector Gadget online, Haliburton volition disturbance it up.

"He doesn't person 1 lane helium conscionable sticks to," said Pacers teammate Myles Turner, who besides is into manner with a self-described "preppy Western" look. "Whatever helium feels, he's going to propulsion it connected and it's a speech starter portion for sure.

"He's bold, but truthful is his personality."

At the 2024 All-Star Game, Haliburton wore a agelong double-breasted Prada runway jacket that had shaggy bluish fur astir some of his biceps and his knees. Some online likened the bluish fur to the Cookie Monster.

"I deliberation radical conscionable ever combat things that they haven't seen earlier oregon everybody conscionable wants to acceptable in," Haliburton told ESPN. "This is simply a satellite wherever if you effort thing different, everybody's going to accidental thing astir it. I don't formal similar anybody other and I'm OK with that.

"I deliberation there's a batch of radical that are genuinely successful the manner satellite that would archer you that I formal precise good and I judge I do. But for immoderate radical who truly don't cognize thing astir fashion, it would beryllium similar helium dresses terrible. I conscionable bash what I privation to bash astatine the extremity of the day. I'm not present to delight anybody."

Haliburton chooses a applicable attack with his outfits. While helium likes to basal retired successful Comme des Garcons, Prada and The Row, Haliburton keeps a batch of pieces successful rotation. He said helium tin deterioration 10 to 15 of the aforesaid pairs of shoes and rewear pants oregon a achromatic button-up respective times arsenic layering pieces.

"I mean, we got money, but apparel are expensive, bro," said Haliburton, who tries to enactment grounded adjacent aft signing a five-year hold worthy up to $260 cardinal successful 2023. "That's wherefore I effort not to get excessively galore ace large pieces that you could spot I wore again."

When it comes to those flashy pieces, Haliburton volition sometimes merchantability them connected Grailed, an online resale marketplace, with an anonymous relationship oregon springiness them to Olivier Rogers, his manner stylist, to merchantability connected sites similar The RealReal.

"I person concealed accounts connected sites wherever you tin resell clothes," Haliburton said. "Even if I don't get each the wealth backmost ... accidental if I bought a overgarment for 5 expansive and I get 3 expansive back, that's amended than getting thing and it's sitting successful my closet.

"When I archetypal came to [the NBA], it bothered maine truthful much. I would walk each this wealth connected a colorful brace of jeans and a vintage T-shirt. And erstwhile I deterioration it erstwhile and station it connected my Instagram, I can't deterioration it again."

As Haliburton looks to stun the Thunder again successful Monday's Game 5 similar helium did successful Game 1 with his game-winning shot, the Indiana prima returns to the Paycom Center hoping to recreate the magic of that night, which started with honoring the standards of bringing vigor to the OKC hallway.

One happening apt not for merchantability are the Hali 1's helium wore successful Game 1. After helium deed 1 of the astir clutch shots successful Finals past to implicit the Pacers' comeback win, Haliburton placed his signature Pumas adjacent to the microphone for his postgame quality conference.

"The concealed condiment contiguous was these," Haliburton said arsenic helium pointed to his shoes aft helping erase a 15-point fourth-quarter deficit.

Later, helium would station connected X the cleanable mic driblet -- repeating 1 of the astir iconic lines successful NBA manner past and an homage to Spike Lee's Mars Blackmon.

"It's gotta beryllium the shooooeeesss," Haliburton wrote.