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Men in Suits: The 11 Most Stylish Players at the 2018 NBA Draft

2018 NBA Draft prospects pose for a photo during the Mtn. Dew Kickstart Green Carpet on June 21, 2018

Chris Marion/NBAE via Getty Images

You only get one chance at a first impression. The NBA employs some of the most stylish athletes in the world, so when draftees attend the NBA Draft, they know they have a lot to live up to.

The first chance those young prospects get to make that impression is at the Mountain Dew Kickstart Green Carpet at the 2018 NBA Draft.

Over the years, the league has gone from loose-fitting garb to perfectly tailored outfits with the accessories to match. In the recent past, even now-stylish superstars like Carmelo Anthony, LeBron James, and Dwyane Wade had some regrettable draft fashion choices. (Take a look at this photo comparing the 2003 class to the 2017 class, and you’ll see what we mean.)

The current class of young basketball stars was up to the challenge at the Barclays Center. We spoke with a bunch of the NBA draftees about what inspired their outfits on draft night. Want to see how those guys stack up against the pros? Tune in to the NBA Awards on Monday, June 25 at 9 p.m. ET on TNT.

Here’s a look at the best styles of the 2018 NBA Draft.

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Mike Stobe/Getty Images 1 / 11

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander - Los Angeles Clippers

Former Kentucky star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander made quite the impression on the NBA Draft Green Carpet with his gold, flower-printed suit. The newest member of the Clippers—he was traded after being drafted by the Hornets, hence the Charlotte cap in the pic—didn’t have the intention of wearing something so attention-grabbing, but once he saw it, he knew he had to try it.

“I hadn’t planned on wearing this, but I saw this pattern in a piece of cloth while I was trying other stuff for the draft,” Gilgeous-Alexander told Men’s Journal. “I wanted to look sharp but wasn’t going to go flashy. So when I saw it, I tried it on the trim of my jacket, and I liked the color scheme and the pattern, so I tried it for the full jacket. I liked it so much, I just decided to go all out with this pattern design. It’s a surreal feeling being at the NBA Draft. Just a few weeks ago I was on campus and here I am. I trained and worked my entire life for this moment. I’m so excited to be at the next level, I’m excited to play the game full-time, it’s what I love. It’s the best job in the world. The draft process was great, I had some really good workouts.”

Chris Marion/NBAE via Getty Images 2 / 11

Trae Young - Atlanta Hawks

Former Oklahoma star Trae Young made a statement on the NBA Draft Green Carpet—and some history.

“You’ve never seen someone rock shorts to the draft, so that was something I wanted to do,” Young said. “During the season seeing LeBron and other guys in the league wear shorts with a suit, kind of inspired me, and I wanted to do something different, because I’m unique too. I wanted to be the first, make some history with the shorts at the draft.”

Jon Lopez/NBAE via Getty Images 3 / 11

Wendell Carter - Chicago Bulls

No one had more fun with his suit on the NBA Draft Green Carpet than Wendell Carter. The former Duke star and now-Chicago Bulls draftee took inspiration from a superhero for his style on draft night.

“I saw a Black Panther commercial, and he had something draped across the front of his suit, so I wanted to do that too,” Carter told Men’s Journal. “This suit is Gucci, the shoes, the whole thing. We had my whole family decked out. This whole draft process has been amazing. I traveled to a lot of teams, but it was fun too, meeting new people and going to all these different cities. It’s great to be part of the 2018 class. We’ve played with one another since we were teens, so it’s exciting to see us all about to go into the league.”

Chris Marion/NBAE via Getty Images 4 / 11

Collin Sexton - Cleveland Cavaliers

While Collin Sexton (right) doesn’t know yet if he’ll be teammates with LeBron James on the Cleveland Cavaliers, the former Alabama Crimson Tide star is confident that he can help James if he stays in Ohio. “Let’s get back to the finals,” Sexton said in his post-draft interview. That confidence was also on display on the NBA Green Carpet, where Sexton showed off his red tuxedo while heading into the event. Little did he know that his suit would match the colors of the team that drafted him.

“I looked up some suits online, and this one just spoke to me,” Sexton told Men’s Journal. “The bowtie was something different, I feel like I look better in bowties. Our suits are all a lot tighter now than LeBron and those guys had, LeBron had the big suit, and we upped the fashion game a bit. I’m most excited about just simply being drafted. Dreams come true. You watch this as a kid, and being here is amazing with all these great, talented guys.”

Jon Lopez/NBAE via Getty Images 5 / 11

Donte DiVincenzo - Milwaukee Bucks

Villanova’s hero in the national championship game took some cues from his well-dressed head coach Jay Wright for draft night.

“My draft style was inspired by coach Wright,” DiVincenzo told Men’s Journal. “He’s a great dresser, and I pay close attention to how he dresses. He always wears these double hooked shoes, so I styled it off that. The socks, they’re a mix of the baby blue and the Villanova blue, a nod to ‘Nova, I wanted to be simple, but added the bowtie to add some flash to it. I feel amazing here, it’s a dream come true. The bond that we share as teammates now, we’ll have for the rest of our lives. Being on that national stage and performing like I did, it’s unbelievable, and it’s indescribable the feeling of doing that and being at the draft now.”

Mike Stobe/Getty Images 6 / 11

Jerome Robinson - Los Angeles Clippers

Former Boston College star Jerome Robinson added some flash to his outfit with his tie, and also with the color he selected for his suit jacket.

“I’ve always liked the color blue, and I went with the Cobalt Blue since it was a little different,” Robinson said. “With the tie, I wanted something that kind of popped, but not too flashy. The slip-on shoes have been a thing with this class, so I picked that. I know Carmelo and some of those guys in the past had some funny suits, so we all wanted to look sharp.”

Jon Lopez/NBAE via Getty Images 7 / 11

Aaron Holiday - Indiana Pacers

Former UCLA star Aaron Holiday now joins his brothers Justin and Jrue in the NBA, and he did it in style.

I wanted something simple, not too flashy,” Holiday told Men’s Journal. “I’m not a flashy guy, and once I saw this pattern, that was it. I added some nice shoes and my watch, I just wanted to feel and look good heading into the draft. Last year I entered the draft wanted to stay in the draft, but going back to school really helped me. This extra year helped put me in this position to be a first-round pick.”

Chris Marion/NBAE via Getty Images 8 / 11

Zhaire Smith - Philadelphia 76ers

Zhaire Smith stood out on the NBA Draft Green Carpet with his sky blue suit. Smith was initially drafted by the Phoenix Suns, but was later traded to the Philadelphia 76ers.

“Blue is my favorite color, I’ve been liking blue since I grew up,” Smith said. “The light blue just spoke to me. My stylist hooked me up with the Del Toro shoes, I really love these. With the shirt pattern, I’m a unique person, so my stylist hooked me up with something a little different. I wanted to reflect that uniqueness with my suit for the draft.”

Chris Marion/NBAE via Getty Images 9 / 11

Mikal Bridges - Phoenix Suns

The former Villanova star had a wild night at the draft, getting drafted by his college town and hometown team the Philadelphia 76ers—the team his mother works for—but before he knew it, Bridges was traded to the Phoenix Suns. Either way, Bridges looked as sharp as anyone at the draft, wearing a tuxedo-style suit from JCPenny and a Tissot watch to complete his outfit.

“JCPenney helped me pick this out, I like blue, the color blue is one of my favorites,” Bridges told Men’s Journal. “I wanted to mix the black and blue, and I wanted to wear a bowtie too to keep it fresh. For the interior of the suit, I did the Villanova blue with the ‘Nova logo. The whole process of the draft was amazing, going from city to city, being myself and showing these teams who I am as a person and on the court. I’m excited to try and win championships and compete in this league at the highest level.”

Jon Lopez/NBAE via Getty Images 10 / 11

Michael Porter Jr. - Denver Nuggets

Michael Porter Jr. was one of the most intriguing prospects in the draft because of his potential—but also because of his injury issues. As a former Gatorade National Player of the Year and five-star recruit, no one questioned his talent, but back and hip injuries had some teams worried about using a high pick on Porter. Instead, he slipped to the 14th pick with the Denver Nuggets. Little did he know, his suit color ended up matching his team.

“My sister kind of helped me pick the color, she thought it would look good on me,” Porter told Men’s Journal. “My stylist helped me put it together. The inside of the suit I had inspirational words, and the names of my parents and siblings. This journey has been a long time coming.”

Jon Lopez/NBAE via Getty Images 11 / 11

Miles Bridges - Charlotte Hornets

Former Michigan State star Miles Bridges had history in mind when picking out his suit for the NBA Draft Green Carpet.

“I wanted to keep it simple, kind of a little presidential look,” Bridges said. “I didn’t want to look back 10 years from now and be like, ‘What am I doing?’ Just like some of the guys in the past with the big suits.”

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