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The Knicks are NBA champions. Now they have to start dressing the part.
By
Sonia Rao
Published Oct 19, 2026 at 12:43 p.m. ET
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Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
By
Sonia Rao
Published Oct 19, 2026 at 12:43 p.m. ET
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NBA and WNBA players alike are known to be some of the most stylish professional athletes. Their looks, whether surprisingly audacious or just immaculately tailored, paved the way for other sports leagues to work with stylists and fashion designers for these pregame moments. Given the New York Knicks’ historic triumph last season, the pressure is on for the team to once again perform at an exceedingly high level — and, by extension, for them to project that prestige as they make their ways through the tunnel.
Many fans pay close attention to what players are wearing as they walk from an arena entrance to the locker room, or what’s popularly known as their “tunnel fits.” These outfits are a player’s opportunity to convey a certain image, whether it be of strength, coolheadedness or an intimidating level of swagger. A tailored, designer look can signal to the public (along with future opponents) that a player is a very big deal both on and off the court. Showing up in a T-shirt and sweats might suggest that their mind is trained on the game.
“I think dressing like a champion is really about being authentic to yourself and making sure that you feel your most confident and [like] your best self,” stylist Courtney Mays recently told Gothamist. “I think that’s what makes the most stylish people.”
Knicks legend Walt Frazier — nicknamed Clyde, in reference to the 1967 film “Bonnie and Clyde,” for his affinity toward fedoras — became one of the earliest NBA players to attract attention for his personal style back in the 1970s. Michael Jordan and Dennis Rodman rocked bold looks while playing for the Chicago Bulls in the 1990s — boxy suits for Jordan, animal prints and gender-fluid silhouettes for Rodman. 76ers star Allen Iverson championed a blend of athletic clothing and streetwear in the 2000s.
In 2005, NBA commissioner David Stern introduced a business casual dress code for any team or league activities, including pregame arrivals. Many people, including Mays, saw it as a critique of Black players such as Iverson, known for his tattoos, braids and streetwear-influenced attire.
“There was a moment when they were trying to separate basketball from hip-hop culture, which is basically impossible,” Mays said.
Regardless of the reasoning behind it, the dress code drastically changed NBA players’ fashion. At the time, Mays was working with LeBron James’s longtime stylist, Rachel Johnson, whom Mays credits with revolutionizing athlete fashion by recruiting high-end brands like Ralph Lauren, Tom Ford and Brunello Cucinelli to dress them.
Johnson is “the godmother of why we’re even having these conversations,” Mays said. “She “had the foresight to know that athletes were tastemakers and influencers.”
Back then, Mays said, most prestigious designers weren’t creating clothing for people who stood, say, 6-foot-9. Johnson and her team “were really championing these people that needed clothes that weren’t necessarily readily available to them,” Mays said. “Especially with basketball, you’re getting to see such a diverse group of people — different sizes, different shapes, different races — and that’s so powerful.”
Kesha McLeod, another prominent stylist who worked under Johnson, theorized that the “big boom” occurred in the 2010s with stylish players such as Chris Paul, who played for the Los Angeles Clippers and Houston Rockets in that decade, as well as the Miami Heat’s Big Three: James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. The dress code relaxed when Adam Silver became league commissioner in 2014, offering more freedom.
All eyes will be on the Knicks Tuesday evening as they attempt to fend off James (and the rest of the Philadelphia 76ers, of course). What they might wear to the game is anyone’s guess, as a thorough search revealed that most of the Knicks don’t work with a regular stylist on tunnel looks. McLeod confirmed as much, noting she thinks of the Knicks as “the only team that’s not focused so much on fashion” — though she did acknowledge a few players, such as Karl-Anthony Towns, who have successfully channeled their “winning mindset” into their attire. (Towns has an impressive collection of vintage Knicks gear, according to Mays, who has styled him for red carpets and commercials.)
Jordan Clarkson is hands-down the best dressed on the team, McLeod said. GQ called him a “tunnel superstar” and said that “on the short list of NBA players with the best fits in the game, Clarkson ranks near the top.” McLeod added that she would rank either Towns or Landry Shamet as second. Shamet tends to go for a more simple, clean, traditional menswear look, pairing open button-downs with T-shirts, dark jeans and loafers.
Josh Hart’s fashion sense is notable for not being primarily about his clothes; he has expressed himself through his braids since playing in college. He works primarily with two hairstylists: Shanna St. Cyr Alexander in New York and Sandra Finn in Houston, the latter of whom was the first to collaborate on New York City-specific patterns. Finn has braided the Yankees logo into Hart’s hair. Alexander has paid homage to the Knicks. Both remained coy on how his hair would look Tuesday.
“I feel like a lot of people know Josh to be this funny, very open, playful person,” Alexander said. “He gets to express that side of himself through his hair.”
There are entire Instagram accounts devoted to documenting off-court NBA and WNBA looks. The comments are flooded with fire emoji.
McLeod reminisced about when she and Mays, while still working with Johnson, would style WNBA players for Hilton hotel conference rooms: “It was nothing like what it was today. There was no Angel Reese getting Vogue.”
She and Mays have since worked with major players like the New York Liberty’s Jonquel Jones and Breanna Stewart, who each opted for a pantsuit while attending the 2025 Met Gala with teammate Sabrina Ionescu.
McLeod predicted that the bond between basketball and fashion will only get stronger as brands realize how much they can monetize these partnerships. Earlier this month, at a professional conference for advertising, McLeod heard sports business analyst Darren Rovell predict that there will soon be advertisements in the tunnels.
She has contemplated how this would impact the way she styles players and hasn’t yet come up with a definite answer. But regardless of how the dynamics of NBA fashion change, she said, she looks forward to meeting the challenge.
“It’s the mentality and approach,” McLeod said. “I have to approach every single job with a champion mindset whether I have a champion or not.”
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Sonia Rao
Sonia Rao is a culture reporter for WNYC and Gothamist. She previously covered entertainment and breaking news at The Washington Post. Got a tip? Email [email protected].
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