Tyrese Haliburton made a striking impression during the 2025 NBA Finals with his distinctive fashion choices, showcasing his signature style as he arrived at Paycom Arena for Game 1. Wearing his debut signature sneakers, the Puma Hali 1 in a hibiscus shade designed by Salehe Bembury, Haliburton’s look was a deliberate statement of confidence and individuality, enhancing the spotlight on his performance in this critical series.
Haliburton’s NBA Finals fashion highlights underscore not only his skill on the court but his growing reputation as a style icon, reflecting the evolving culture of player self-expression in basketball’s biggest moments. Alongside him, Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander also displayed a compelling fashion presence, wearing a Chanel cross-body bag with pearl details and Converse shoes honoring family—further elevating the fashion stakes in this high-profile matchup.
Fashion Arrivals and Iconic Style Statements at the NBA Finals
As cameras flashed on Haliburton’s entrance, he stepped into the arena clad in an off-white Carhartt button-down jacket, white pants, black shoes, and sunglasses, immediately capturing attention. Central to his fashion was the Puma Hali 1 sneaker, a premiere release that quickly became a symbol of his rising influence in both basketball and style.
Shortly thereafter, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander arrived sporting light blue-tinted sunglasses, a gray shirt jacket, and his signature “Masi Blue” SHAI 001 Converse sneakers dedicated to his younger brother, Thomasi. Gilgeous-Alexander’s signature accessory was a Chanel cross-body bag with a pearl-detailed strap accompanied by a smaller matching mini bag, highlighting his status as the league’s reigning style leader.
Reflecting on Gilgeous-Alexander’s prominence in fashion, Haliburton remarked,
“Shai’s been doing it since he came to the league,”
and added,
“He is kind of like the undisputed king of [NBA fashion].”
—Tyrese Haliburton, Indiana Pacers Guard
Battle of Two Star Point Guards on Court and Style
The epic NBA Finals showdown between Haliburton and Gilgeous-Alexander is not only a clash of basketball talents but also a display of fashion leadership. Both players have driven their teams to a 2-2 series tie, while their sartorial flair adds an extra layer of excitement to the competition.
Oklahoma City, historically known for stars like Russell Westbrook, James Harden, and Serge Ibaka exhibiting bold, trendsetting looks, has re-emerged as the league’s fashion hub thanks to Gilgeous-Alexander and his teammates such as Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren. Haliburton, acutely aware of this cultural spotlight, uses the Finals as a platform to challenge skeptics by showcasing both clutch basketball performance and daring fashion choices.
Haliburton reflected on the significance of the Oklahoma City tunnel, a place steeped in style legacy.
“OKC is a legendary tunnel with Russ and what Shai’s doing,”
he said, also noting,
“OKC is definitely one of everybody’s favorite tunnels.”
—Tyrese Haliburton
Legacy of Russell Westbrook and Its Influence on Current NBA Fashion
Russell Westbrook carved a unique path in NBA fashion history by fearlessly mixing high-end luxury with streetwear, often customizing his own clothes. His dedication to fashion included sewing his ripped jeans himself, a fact he shared during the 2023-24 season.
“My mom used to sew, so I used to watch,”
Westbrook said.
“So if I rip something, if I cut it like I cut my jeans, I cut it up myself in the room.”
“I can sew it by hand [with a needle]. I ain’t done it in a while, but I can also [sew] it by machine as well, too.”
—Russell Westbrook, NBA Veteran
Westbrook’s fashion ethos extended beyond his own appearances—he often helped outfit teammates by buying clothes and sharing style advice. Now with the Denver Nuggets, he primarily sports his own brand, Honor The Gift, giving away outfits to friends, academy students, and charity. His philosophy emphasizes affordability and creativity, as he explained,
“I’m not big on having young guys go to [Louis] Vuitton and [Christian] Dior and spending $2,000 on stuff. I’m big on thrift shopping. That’s how I was brought up. My mom was the one that taught and helped me understand about being able to have what you have but also looking good with what you have. And that’s why I was able to create my own brand.”
—Russell Westbrook
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s Runway Impact and Fashion Credibility
At just 26, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has become the NBA’s undisputed style leader, moving beyond the court to the world of high fashion. He walked in Thom Browne’s Paris Men’s Fashion Week show in 2022, holds the title of former GQ Most Stylish Man of the Year, and serves as Converse Basketball’s creative director. Wall Street Journal reporter and former GQ sports director Sam Schube remarked,
“Shai is acknowledged pretty widely as the reigning king of NBA style… He’s the guy who’s really picked up the mantle from LeBron [James], Allen Iverson, Dwyane Wade and Russ. He’s the next dude. … Shai’s sort of his own world. It doesn’t really feel like he’s playing the same game as everybody else.”
and
“I don’t know how much Chanel you’re seeing in the NBA tunnel. That just tells you that that guy knows exactly what he wants to wear and feels great about doing it … to take a really classic fancy French lady women’s wear brand and twist it as an NBA player is like, ‘Ooh yeah.’ You’re feeling good about yourself.”
—Sam Schube, Wall Street Journal Reporter
Gilgeous-Alexander has had an exceptional season, winning the regular-season scoring title, MVP, and Western Conference Finals MVP, positioning himself as a strong contender for Finals MVP. His fashion meticulously mirrors his basketball prowess. Before every series, he plans his outfits, often matching his shoe colorways with his clothing themes. He explained,
“Before every series, I plan out my outfits for sure… I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but every round I’ve debuted a new colorway of my [Converse] shoe. Round 1, all the outfits were centered around the gray shoes. And then Round 2, they were centered around the black shoes. Round 3, the clay shoes. And this round would be the blue shoes.”
—Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder Guard
The Fashion-Forward Oklahoma City Thunder Team
Gilgeous-Alexander’s influence elevates the entire Oklahoma City Thunder roster as a collective fashion force. Alongside him, players like Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, and Lu Dort use their pregame looks to express personality and cultural influence. Williams, unafraid of pushing boundaries, once wore a full black headpiece with padded rows across the face and was fined $25,000 for a shirt featuring profane language at media sessions.
Williams describes his fashion as baggy and authentic, stating,
“I say my style right now, it’s baggy. But it’s also just me, whatever I’m feeling. So if I’m feeling lazy, I’m not afraid to wear pajamas. I’m not afraid to be comfortable.”
—Jalen Williams, Oklahoma City Thunder Forward
For Game 1 of the Finals, Williams chose a vintage-inspired 90s look, combining a black and pink zip-up hoodie, a Michael Jackson graphic T-shirt, baggy jeans, and a soft-sided lunch bag featuring Pinky and the Brain. Schube described the ensemble as,
“This is like a classic Gen Z cool kid outfit. Big sneakers, giant jeans, little shirt and then a trucker hat that looks like maybe you could have gotten it at a gas station, but I’m sure it costs a thousand dollars. And is he carrying a lunch box? This could not be more of a Gen Z outfit.”
—Sam Schube
Holmgren, who prefers a casual yet classy look, admits he is not competing on the same fashion plane as Gilgeous-Alexander.
“It’s not a competition because the budget isn’t the same,”
he said,
“That’s a dangerous game to try to play. So I don’t even try to play it.”
“I look at them as fashion professionals, and I’m more of a fashion hobbyist.”
—Chet Holmgren, Oklahoma City Thunder Center
Williams echoed humility, recalling an early shopping trip with Gilgeous-Alexander during his rookie year in 2022-23 when he mostly observed without fully participating.
“The first time, it wasn’t that fun,”
Williams said.
“I just have more money now so I can kind of keep up.”
Despite their varied styles and budgets, the Thunder teammates share a supportive dynamic rather than competing, with Gilgeous-Alexander jokingly taking on a mentor role.
“It doesn’t really get competitive,”
he explained.
“I don’t want to sound like … they’re like, those are my kids in terms of fashion. I showed them what to do and what not to do.”
—Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Small-Market Oklahoma City as a Surprising Fashion Hub
Oklahoma City’s emergence as an NBA fashion epicenter is notable given its smaller market status. Schube expressed surprise at the city’s vogue influence, noting the creative vision behind team construction.
“You do not think of Oklahoma City as the most fashionable place on Earth,”
he said.
“And yet there’s something in the water there. They’re a small market. [GM] Sam Presti, who built both of those teams, is obviously a guy who knows how to be creative and flexible when it comes to building a roster. And that means finding young players and empowering them.”
“And so you get these young dudes who are just absolutely dripping and it happens to be in Oklahoma City.”
—Sam Schube
Tyrese Haliburton’s Unique Style Approach and Social Media Presence
Haliburton’s fashion journey has included bold choices, such as the long double-breasted Prada jacket at the 2024 All-Star Game, which featured shaggy blue fur, a look some likened to Cookie Monster. Reflecting on public reactions, Haliburton stated,
“I think people just always fight things that they haven’t seen before or everybody just wants to fit in.”
and continued,
“I don’t dress like anybody else and I’m OK with that.”
“I think there’s a lot of people that are truly in the fashion world that would tell you that I dress very well and I believe I do. But for some people who really don’t know anything about fashion, it would be like he dresses terrible. I just do what I want to do at the end of the day. I’m not here to please anybody.”
—Tyrese Haliburton
Practicality influences Haliburton’s wardrobe management. Despite having a lucrative contract, he avoids excessive flashy pieces and frequently reuses shoes, pants, and layering items to stay grounded.
“I mean, we got money, but clothes are expensive, bro,”
he said, adding,
“That’s why I try not to get too many super loud pieces that you could see I wore again.”
Haliburton also takes care in managing his fashion investments by selling items on resale platforms under anonymous accounts or entrusting his stylist Olivier Rogers to handle sales, helping offset costs.
“I have secret accounts on sites where you can resell clothes,”
he shared,
“Even if I don’t get all the money back … say if I bought a jacket for five grand and I get three grand back, that’s better than getting nothing and it’s sitting in my closet.”
Early in his career, Haliburton felt the pressure of social media’s one-time use of outfits.
“When I first came to [the NBA], it bothered me so much. I would spend all this money on a colorful pair of jeans and a vintage T-shirt. And once I wear it once and post it on my Instagram, I can’t wear it again.”
High-Stakes Fashion and Memorable Moments in the Finals
As the series continued, Haliburton’s Game 1 heroics culminated with a clutch game-winning shot to erase a 15-point deficit. After the victory, he intentionally placed his signature Puma sneakers beside the microphone during his postgame conference, stating,
“The secret sauce today was these,”
nodding to the shoes that accompanied his comeback performance.
He later echoed a famous cultural reference on social media, writing, “It’s gotta be the shooooeeesss,” paying homage to Spike Lee’s iconic Mars Blackmon from Nike campaigns, cementing his place not only as a basketball talent but also a figure in NBA fashion lore.
Support and Praise from Peers and Industry Observers
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander praised Haliburton’s fearless style.
“Good style,”
Gilgeous-Alexander said.
“Above all, he wears it. He embraces his style and doesn’t care what anyone else thinks. He just wears it. And that’s all you can really do is, ‘I’m going to go in my closet and have my eight outfits that I think are fire’… all you can do is trust your feel and wear it with confidence.”
—Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Pacers teammate Myles Turner, known for his preppy Western style, emphasized Haliburton’s fearless personality.
“He doesn’t have one lane he just sticks to,”
Turner said.
Whatever he feels, he’s going to throw it on and it’s a conversation starter piece for sure. He’s bold, but so is his personality.”
—Myles Turner, Indiana Pacers Center
Noteworthy Interactions and Cultural References in the Postseason
Before Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals, Haliburton’s all-black ensemble and confident walk into Gainbridge Fieldhouse sparked social media attention from unexpected quarters. Actor and Knicks fan Ben Stiller joked about Haliburton’s impending travel, writing,
“Good thing he brought his duffel for the flight to NY,”
anticipating a potential Game 7. Haliburton responded directly,
“Nah, was to pack y’all up,”
signaling his intent to end the Knicks’ playoff hopes emphatically.
Haliburton’s awareness of fashion narratives and social media dynamics complements his status as both a top athlete and cultural influencer. Schube observed that Haliburton seems
“aware of how this is all going to play on social media”
and understands
“the narrative and theatrics of it all.”