The rise of fashion in the NBA is something that has been heavily chronicled.
Player’s outfits are posted on Instagram. There are power rankings of their individual fashion choices. And teams are adding red carpets and DJs to their walk-in entrance.
The fashions are almost as important as the games themselves.
But not to everyone.
Steven Adams is his own man. On the basketball court and in what he wears to and from the arena.
The Oklahoma City center is known for sporting bright orange flip-flops with his face across the band.
Camouflage is also a staple of his wardrobe.
And while the consensus around the league is that Adams is the toughest player in the NBA, Fred Katz of The Athletic found out that his teammates see him as “the dude who meanders around shoeless in public.”
“It’s just comfy. … I don’t wear (flip-flops) while driving, so I just kick them off while driving and sometimes in the mornings,” said Adams. “I just can’t be bothered, mate. That’s how lazy I get, mate,” he said. “It’s just, yeah you can slip them on but I’m like, ‘Agh, whatever.’ Let’s go. Then just walk in.”
Granted, it can be difficult to find shoes to fit size 19 feet. Walking around barefoot is likely a lot easier.
But there are times when dressing up and putting on shoes is necessary. For those occasions, there are two requirements for Adams’ style – comfortable, and preferably, free.
When he does wear something with a closed toe, they’re giant boots large and homey enough that they might just be the ones the old woman famously lived in. He sports camouflage jackets and hats not because he’s some experienced hunter but because a close friend has a hunting store back home in New Zealand and gave the clothes to him. And he said, he’s about comfort … and free (expletive).
The clothes are just some of the quirks that make the Big Kiwi so endearing to fans and teammates alike.
On or off the court, Adams doesn’t try to be anybody that he’s not.