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When Kevin Durant walked into the press conference, I was more distracted by his footwear choice than the fact that the King of Twitter was standing right in front of me.
Durant waltzed into the room wearing what can only be described as the shoes you wear when your mom tells you to get the groceries out of the back of the car, but you’re in the middle of watching the prom episode of Laguna Beach.
Not! Now! Mom!
I had the same reaction seeing Durant in slides as I did throughout my childhood seeing a teacher at the grocery store. It just feels…wrong? Can’t explain it and don’t need to!
Last week, Kendall-Jackson invited me (Thank you for having me, btw!) to Team USA’s basketball showcase in Las Vegas during a record-setting heat wave.
Did I have a migraine for an entire week afterwards because it was 120 degrees out, which prevented me from sending out this silly little newsletter earlier? Yes. Was it worth it? Absolutely.
Being inches away from Steph Curry, LeBron James, Shams (IYKYK!) truly was an experience.
If you know anything about me, you know that what I care more about is the fact that these grown men who are the best basketball players in the world schlepp their stuff in backpacks that look tiny on them, wearing slides/slippers/or a combination of the two, and waltz out of the locker room and off of planes in comfy clothes like the rest of us sitting in 30C.
Why was I surprised by this? I’m honestly not sure. Maybe it’s because I’m used to seeing images of players walking into the arena in their put-together tunnel fits—not a sweatshirt, slides, and a mini backpack.
The USA Basketball social team did the lord’s work (shoutout to Jenny Fischer if you’re reading this) and shared Team USA showing off their backpack tags:
The amount of money I would pay to see Curry do a “Hi British Vogue, I’m Charli XCX, and this is what’s in my bag” video….is….too high.
Do they put skincare products in it? An extra change of clothes? What snacks do they pack? Did anyone forget their iPhone charger? I feel like Curry has an extra for some reason…
To get a few answers to some of my *burning* questions, I reached out to stylist Marisa Ripepi, who works with professional athletes across the NBA, WNBA, and the NFL.
Ripepi shared a bit of information about how these players find post-game clothes and shoes that actually fit them. Enjoy!
🚨Reminder: I’ll be in Paris for the Olympics in a few weeks. Obviously, I’ll be doing some Impersonal Foul content on the ground, but if you’re going to be there and want to hang, shoot me an email or DM me!
An Interview With An NBA Stylist
You can see more of Ripepi’s work on Instagram here. This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
I love NBA players post-game comfy looks. How are they able to get slides/slippers that fit them? I imagine it must be somewhat difficult given their height!
It’s definitely hard finding shoes for NBA players. My tallest client wears a size 16. Getting shoes from either the team or having a slipper, there are a quite few brands where you can get bigger sizing or even custom!
Nowadays, there are so many more brands coming out with bigger sizes and it’s not as limited as it used to be.
In your experience, are there any brands of athleisure wear that NBA players tend to gravitate towards?
As well as athleisure wear, athletes tend to wear the brand they are sponsored by. A lot of NBA players are signed with Nike, Adidas, etc., so they get free clothing from that fits in their sizes. Some of my favorite go-to brands would be Honor the Gift, MNML, and Entire Studios.
Do you ever help style NBA players in these more comfortable/casual post-game looks?
I’ve never styled someone and the outfit was going to be for a post-game look. Most of the time, if my client is in something comfortable, he will wear his outfit after the game, as well. I think it completely depends on the player and what he wore for the game that day.
Other Pointless Sports Gossip
Fans are filing a lawsuit after that truly chaotic Copa América final that had fans climbing in vents (yes, really) to get in. MESS! (via ESPN)
I love this #spon con from Florida State quarterback DJ Uiagalelei for Circle K. (via X)
Fenty Beauty is a premium partner of the Olympic and Paralympic Games and announced it with a photo that I only imagine came from Rihanna’s brain and Rihanna’s brain only. (via Instagram)
Brittany Mahomes (wife of Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick) is pregnant with their third child. (via PEOPLE)
Speaking of Brittany, it looks like Ms. Taylor Alison Swift gave her access to the Google Drive folder with those filtered photos. (via Instagram)
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