Jalen Williams on the Thunder Being the ‘Best Dressed Team’ in the NBA and Shopping with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Jalen ‘Dub’ Williams’ style is just as versatile as his game. The OKC Thunder Forward, who dropped 27 points against the Spurs last week, rocks everything from leather vests and all-black ensembles to pairing a New Jersey Devils hockey jersey with a pair of Denim Tears jeans.
Williams recently appeared on the LeagueFits: Survival of the Fittest podcast, hosted by Joe Williams and Ian Pierno, to discuss the origin of his taste in fashion, the best dressed players around the team and the importance of a good fit when the big markets are watching.
OKC has had a long list of stylish players on their roster over the past decade, from Russell Westbrook to James Harden, and Serge Ibaka, who all express their personality through their unique wardrobe. Now, Williams and superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander have kept that same energy, and impact, going in the tunnel.
“Westbrook and that whole band,” Williams said on what’s kept OKC as one of the most stylish teams in the L. “I don’t know how we ended up getting that but I do think we’re the best dressed team down from A-Z.”
As for Williams’ own style, the 21 year-old admitted that while he didn’t go through much of a fashion phase growing up, it was during his senior year of high school that Williams began prioritizing his pre-game fit routines by adding eccentric designer looks to his shopping cart. As a sophomore at Santa Clara University, Williams even used stipends to buy the clothes he thought could speak to his character.
But then when the COVID-19 pandemic happened, suddenly his motivation to get dressed up started to decline. That’s when Williams decided cozier fits were mores his vibe.
“Covid took away my motivation to actually put on clothes and take pics,” says Williams. “So then after I was wearing pajamas and walking around class with a blanket so that’s a vibe.”
“I just tried to do something simple,” Williams says on his pinstriped Gucci suit worn on Draft day. “But I don’t know if anybody’s ever done that before either so just trying to do something unique.”
Suiting up alongside teammates Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Giddey and Tre Mann (to name a few), Williams has joined them in rocking some incomparable outfits this season. The Thunder apparently even keep a ranking of who dresses superiorly to the rest of the group; Williams has Shai at the top of the mountain, with Darius Bazley as a runner up, Giddey at the third slot and himself as the fourth best.
To add to their competitive nature in clothing trends, the team apparently keeps track of how many times they make it onto LeagueFits.
While the rookie places SGA in a “different category when it comes to clothes,” he did reveal that there was a moment when the shooting guard himself asked where he got an exclusive tee of the late-Kobe Bryant.
“I wore the Kobe USA tee a couple days ago and Shai asked where I got it,” Williams said. “But I’m absolutely not going to tell him because he’s one of those people that have access to everything, so some stuff you gotta gatekeep.”
