While many NBA players have different interpretations of high fashion and the latest trends, some are sticking with basic suits, while still mixing it up a bit. Perhaps the most important facet of today’s suit is an ability to break up the pieces and wear them with other items in your wardrobe. Let’s take a look at several different styles, including trends that can become part of any closet. Keep up with the conversation using #NBAStyle.
THE EXPERTLY TAILORED SUIT
Derrick Rose, Amar’e Stoudemire and Zach Randolph are in favor of finely tailored, slim cuts.
ALL BALL NERVE CENTER – If you didn’t know that Pacers center Roy Hibbert has a fantastic sense of humor, you must have missed his appearance last summer on the Hang Time Podcast, where big Roy joined me, NBA.com’s Sekou Smith, and his BFF, writer/comedian Chelsea Peretti, who is one of the greats. We discussed many things, including, if I’m not mistaken, Chelsea’s suggestion that Roy should at some point wear a monocle to a postgame press conference. Perhaps I am just projecting, but it feels like something we mentioned very briefly.
For certain, however, Peretti and Hibbert had a public talk about monocles last year, when Roy called in on episode 9 of Chelsea’s podcast. A discussion about Power Rangers evolved (or devolved) into a conversation about NBA Style.
“All these guys wearing, like, skinny jeans,” Hibbert said, “and glasses with no frames in it, stuff like that, that’s a thing of the past. I’m going to start something new here.”
After Chelsea urged Hibbert to start an NBA ponytail trend, Hibbert agreed, although with a caveat:
“I say a ponytail, but you have to have some sort of eyewear. I’m going with a monocle. I’ll be the first one to rock a monocle like Mr. Peanut, or whoever. Like the Monopoly guy.”
Roy apparently came close over the weekend…until he chickened out…
Pacers Roy Hibbert brought a MONOCLE to the podium…held it up but says was advised in locker room not to wear it http://t.co/bYIRFYCQmc— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) May 12, 2013
ALL BALL NERVE CENTER – Pacers center Roy Hibbert had a pretty good day yesterday. His team throttled the Atlanta Hawks in their playoff opener, 107-90, and Hibbert finished with 16 points and eight rebounds.
Meanwhile, yesterday Warriors forward David Lee had a no-good, very bad day. Less than 24 hours after the Warriors lost their first game, 97-95, on a last-second shot from Andre Miller, it was announced that Lee would miss the rest of the postseason after suffering a complete tear of his hip flexor.
And although these two men are obviously competitors, at heart they are both gentlemen, as we saw from their honest and blunt interaction on Twitter earlier today. (Get well soon, D-Lee!)
I really don't like @Dlee042 but I really hope he has a speedy recovery. Hate to see guys get get hurt or injured.— Roy Hibbert (@Hoya2aPacer) April 22, 2013
@Hoya2aPacer Good to know our dislike is mutual, that being said I appreciate the tweet Roy!— David Lee (@Dlee042) April 22, 2013
You may have noticed it’s the offseason, which means we have plenty of time to sit around and think about many of the things that make it fun to be an NBA fan. Here at All Ball, we’ll be passing the time until the start of the season with a new series, the Fave Five. Each week will count down a list of the five best, or worst … somethings. We’ll try to get creative with it. Plus we’re taking requests! If you have a suggestion for a Fave Five post, give us a shout and you may see it appear in this space over the next several weeks.
You may not know this about me, but if you have read enough posts on All Ball you’ve probably seen enough links to surmise that I am a big fan of Saturday Night Live.
And with the start of the new season just around the corner, it got me to thinking: When will the next NBA player get a chance to host of the show?
Historically speaking, SNL invites a “sports figure” on average about once a year (this includes broadcasters, professional wrestlers, etc). Last year our own Charles Barkley became the first athlete to host for the third time, but overall basketball representation on the show has been sparse. Aside from the Chuckster, only Michael Jordan and LeBron James have ever hosted. Clearly, Lorne Michaels does not think much of the NBA’s collective comedic talents. But is that deserved, this allegation I’m making up on the spot?
It seems to me in this day and age there are more NBA players being funny than ever, and it’s just a matter of time before someone else gets a crack at being not ready for primetime.
But who? In this week’s Fave Five, we rank the top candidates to take to the stage in Studio 8H:
5. Roy Hibbert
The bonafides: A rising star on the NBA’s comedy scene, Hibbert has aligned himself with some very funny people in his burgeoning career. He’s guested on Parks and Recreation (the funniest show on TV for my money), hung out at Roscoe’s Chicken N Waffles with comedian Chelsea Peretti, and topped it off with Ben Schwartz‘s hilarious audition video for Hibbert’s cheering section. He seems pretty comfortable on camera — here he is from last year’s playoffs on Jimmy Kimmel:
Has he been featured on Funny or Die or Taiwanese animation? Not yet, but given who he hangs out with, it can’t be too long.
Recently we discussed Area 55, the personal cheering section for Pacers’ big man Roy Hibbert. The Pacers held auditions in person, but are also giving fans the chance to submit :30 videos for a chance at a spot in the crowd as well.
Ben Schwartz, who portrays the hilarious character Jean-Ralphio on NBC’s Parks and Recreation (on which Hibbert has guest-starred), decided to take a crack at an entry. Let’s just say I like his chances:
Fans have until 5 p.m. Friday to submit their tapes, so get on it if you haven’t already.
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This is exactly the sort of thing I would do if I were an NBA player (or in general, if I had the ability to command people to act like idiots on my behalf).
For the third straight season, Roy Hibbert is auditioning fans to root for him in Area 55, a section of seats paid for by Hibbert himself to serve as his personal cheering section. Needless to say, for the chance at a pair of season tickets, people are willing to do some silly, silly things:
Pacers.com will have much more video on the tryouts over the course of this week. I see a lot of crazy get-ups and full-body color suits, but is no one going to dress up like Hibbert’s former employers, Entertainment 720?
As everyone knows by now, the compressed NBA schedule will force every team to play three games in three nights at least one this season (42 times in total). With only 66 games to stake a claim to a playoff spot or seed, how teams perform during these killer slates could have a large impact on how their seasons turn out.
With that in mind, we’re going to keep track of each of the 42 three-plays to see which teams take advantage and which teams fall apart. Up next, the Indiana Pacers, who played three straight from Feb. 14-16.
The Pacers have played pretty well this season, showing great depth and benefiting from the offseason addition of David West. That is until recently, when they hit a bit of a rough patch and lost four of five coming into their three for all challenge. Could they turn things around in the season’s most grueling stretch?
Game 1: Heat 105, Pacers 90 - No excuses for this one, even with Danny Granger going down with an ankle injury near the end of the first quarter. The Heat were playing the last of their epic three play, so should have been ripe for the picking for a team that until last week had only lost one home game all season. -2 points
Game 2: Cavaliers 98, Pacers 87 - The Pacers’ depth is supposed to be one of their biggest strengths, but losing at Cleveland without Granger’s services would seem to hurt that argument a bit. Kyrie Irving returned from a concussion for the Cavs to score 22 points and lead them to the win, while Indy’s season-long losing streak reaches five games. -1 point
Game 3: Pacers 93, Nets 88 - Finally a W for Indiana, which got Granger back in the lineup and needed every one of his game-high 32 points to hold off the lowly Nets. First-time All-Star Roy Hibbert chipped in with 13 points and 11 boards. I’m putting the over/under on his All-Star minutes at 4:30, by the way. 5 points
Any win in Game 3 is worth celebrating, but this was a pretty disappointing effort for the Pacers all things considered. 2 points for Indy.
Up next: The Portland Trail Blazers also played three straight Feb. 14-16.
Are the Pacers legit? Their record sits at only 8-7, but after last night’s shocking surprising 95-92 win over the Lakers in LA, I’m beginning to talk myself into it. Indy had a pretty good week, sandwiching a close loss in Oklahoma City between pummeling the Heat in Miami and last night’s win.
Almost every year there is a team that comes out of nowhere to make a run towards the top of their conference, and I’m starting to talk myself into the Pacers being said team. Top flight scorer? Check, Danny Granger. Top flight big man? Roy Hibbert had 24-12-6 last night against arguably the best pivotman in the league in Pau Gasol. Check. I already thought they stole Darren Collison from the Hornets to be their distributor. The rest of the roster is filled with guys who already know their roles and don’t try to do too much, which is more than many NBA franchises can say.
I’m not predicting an Eastern Finals appearance or anything, but if this team can stay healthy (a big problem in the past), I’m not sure homecourt advantage in a first-round playoff series is out of the question.
Am I crazy?
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Indiana's Roy Hibbert, before and after losing 23 pounds
It’s something you hear every single year in preseason – how this player or that player has either added or dropped x amount of weight over the summer, making them either bulkier (and ready to play a stronger, more physical game) or sleeker (and ready to get up and down the court more quickly and with added agility).
- The Knicks’ Anthony Randolph put on more weight this summer, bringing him up to about 225, which is amazingly 50 pounds heavier than he was when he came into the league.
- Lakers rookie Derrick Caracter left college tipping the scales at 305, but worked all summer with a trainer to get down to 265.
- Bobcats’ PG DJ Augustin added five pounds. That doesn’t sound like much, but DJ ain’t the biggest cat around. By the way (Texas homer alert), I think he’s going to surprise people in Charlotte this season.
Catch up on every single game-winning buzzer beater during the season and see how it rates on the Horry Scale.
