Many NBA players are very well dressed, putting huge amount of thought and effort into choosing the clothes in which they’ll drape their bodies. For example: LeBron seemed all-in on double breasted suit jacekts recently (I will never let that die), Steph Curry admitted he stresses about planning his game-day outfits, Russell Westbrook rocked this incredible tiger-print jacket, Karl-Anthony Towns’ appears to collect bright blue coats, and a bunch of rookies showed they know what’s up by wearing really great outfits at the NBA draft.
But the ultimate fashion icon, the man from whom we can all learn a thing or two when it comes to making smart sartorial choices, is Tim Duncan. Duncan retired on Monday, and it feels really important that we pay homage to not only his abilities on the court but also his fashion sense. Over the course of his illustrious 19-year career, the Spurs power forward proved that he understands personal style better than anyone else in the league.
You may think I’m joking, given that Duncan is best known for his baggy jeans and ill-fitting, short sleeve, plaid shirts. But I’m not. I’m dead serious. Because Duncan stuck to his guns and wore what he wanted to wear, even though any stylist or person with eyes could probably tell you there were more flattering options. He might not have said, verbatim, “to heck with fancy suits,” or, “I don’t need your tricked-out lapels,” but he certainly implied it by wearing jeans that could contain him, Greg Popovich, Manu Ginóbili, and Tony Parker all at the same time. No, Duncan was staying true to himself, doing normcore before normcore was even a thing, spurring on (sorry) “dad chic” with each rumpled jacket.
And for that integrity, I have nothing but admiration. So here, without further ado, are 11 times Duncan looked like a million bucks.
1. Wearing this brownish suit jacket with washed-out, baggy jeans as he sat on the sidelines
Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports
2. wearing a tan suit and plain white tee when everyone else was wearing a tie IN THIS NBA DRAFT PHOTO FROM 1997
AP Photo/Lou Capozzola, NBA) ORG XMIT: CHX101
3. Wearing this too-big, plaid shirt with the cuffs unbuttoned as he covered his face at a press conference
Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
4. Wearing this plaid, short-sleeved shirt with button-up pockets at another press conference
Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
5. wearing another incredible suit-and-baggy-jean combo as he yawned on the sidelines
AP Photo/Rick Bowmer
6. wearing another short-sleeve, plaid, button-pocket shirt en route to THE NBA ALL STAR GAME IN 2011
AP Photo/Jae C. Hong
7. wearing what appear to be tan, suede shoes at DAVID ROBINSON’S INDUCTION TO THE BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME
AP Photo/Darren Abate
8. wearing a short sleeve T-shirt and another pair of dad jeans aT A FILM PREMIERE IN 2008
AP Photo/Chris Pizzello
9. Wow
Adios Tim Duncan. Basketball was in his jeans…. pic.twitter.com/4e36mlX8q5
— Trill deGrasse Tyson (@Willie_Dutch) July 11, 2016
10. Wearing this winning combination over and over
The greatest PF ever has retired. Ima wear a 3x button up and some baggy jeans today to honor #TimDuncan pic.twitter.com/Z0qvlG55B8
— Naji (@NajiChill) July 11, 2016
11. Wearing the jeans, yet again, with Dirk Nowitzki and Kobe Bryant, who appear to have taken some style tips from him
A family of 5 can live comfortably in Tim Duncan's jeans. pic.twitter.com/bkopYGl6DH
— greggy besos (@GregoryTCala) June 19, 2016
Congrats, Mr. Duncan, not only on your incredible career as the best power forward the game has ever seen, but as the first guy who really understood the power of a personal brand.
More Tim Duncan!
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