IT HAS BEEN almost two years since Kyle Kuzma rocked a look so hard that it broke the Internet and rattled not just the NBA, but also the fashion world at large. As he strolled down the pregame tunnel to the Washington Wizards’ locker room, Kuzma was swathed in a bubblegum-pink cable-knit Raf Simons sweater that reached mid-thigh on his black pants, with sleeves so long they swung against his calves.
The look went viral in dozens of memes mocking the sweater as “ridiculous.” But a lot of people sat up and took notice. Corporate marketing people, for example. Here was an elite pro athlete willing to push beyond the conservative dress choices for American sportsmen and turn the tunnel into a fashion runway.
Kuzma was unfazed by the reaction. He knew exactly what kind of effect he’d achieve. “That pink sweater is an art piece,” he says. “It will live forever.”
In fact, the 28-year-old power forward already had a reputation for bold wardrobe choices, dating back to his rookie season with the L.A. Lakers in 2017. In April, NBC Sports Washington even ran a two-minute video compilation of his best outfits from the 2022-23 season— knit shorts and sweater twinset in Japan, black silk puffer with oversized snood in Brooklyn, pink striped balaclava and contrast knit cardigan in Washington. Last fall, Kuzma walked the runway in Puma’s Futrograde presentation during New York Fashion Week in a sequined black basketball jersey over a black hoodie, with a floor-length black skirt sewn from several puffer jackets.
“He wants to be the greatest in this arena,” says his stylist, Toreno Winn, Jr. “He’s going to make his mark in the fashion space.”
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