Tyrese Haliburton and His Wardrobe are on Top of the World
He's the best player in the world right now
I’m sorry to all the New Yorkers reading this - I love you and NYC is the best city in the world…but you guys were cooked by the best basketball player in the world in the Eastern Conference Finals. I was at a Golden State Valkyries game during game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, occasionally checking my phone to see the Knicks were building on their lead, so I stopped checking, choosing to fall into the flow of the game I was at. When I decided to check again. I had a text from my brother saying Indiana had cut the lead to 2 points. Another text from a friend read “Aaron Neismith” so I had to open up the YouTube TV app on my phone just in time for the last minute of the game. Tyrese Haliburton hits the craziest game-tying shot I’ve seen in years, and I audibly screamed in the arena. It was a timeout, so the arena was pretty quiet, and I received plenty of dirty looks from fans sitting in my area. At the time, I thought it was the most electric play of the playoffs…until last night.
I’m writing this on Friday, the day after Tyrese Haliburton stunned the basketball world, hitting a game-winner from the right elbow to put the Pacers up 1 game to nothing against the OKC Thunder in the NBA finals. He is on one of the most clutch runs in NBA history. In shots to tie or take the lead with 5 seconds or less, Tyese is 5/5, shooting 100%. He is a statistical anomaly and most certainly the best story to come out of the NBA this season.
For whatever reason, people don’t like him. He talks a lot of shit, but not an abnormal amount - not more than other great players. His style of play is a little herky-jerky. He is not a smooth player. His jump shot form is slow and awkward. But you know what? He is a stone-cold killer, and in my opinion, the best player in the world. He does it when it matters most. I still believe OKC could and probably will win the series, but the Pacers have life. I’m loving this. This team has me jumping up and down in my living room, and I’m a Lakers fan.
When it comes to the best-dressed players in the NBA, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is one of the more obvious choices. People love his style, but let me tell you, Tyrese has some of the most underrated style in the NBA. He is a bold risk taker, zagging where most of the league is zigging.
One of my favorite aspects of Haliburton’s style is his deep love of dress shoes. His style leans on the dressier side, opting for modern takes on classic styles and silhouettes. He loves wearing leather dress shoe styles to games - usually either Dr. Martens or Prada, as seen here in this TikTok by thepeoplegallery_. They say the devil is in the details. They also say the devil loves Prada, and Tyrese Haliburton is playing like he met Satan at the crossroads.
His style is a little bit of prep, a little bit of business-casual, a little bit “drug-dealer from the 1970s (on that Frank Lucas drip).” He wears classic pieces like green bomber jackets, vintage Levi’s, a crisp black suit, or a Lacoste cardigan. You can tell he sources much of his clothes from good vintage dealers and uses a tailor to mold the clothing to his body.
According to his GQ 10 Essentials interview, he always has a pack of fresh white tees when he’s on the road. He claims he doesn’t only wear the each white tee one time before disposing it, but he does cycle through them fairly liberally, which is some rich-guy shit I aspire to.
…
Sure, if you go down the rabbit hole of Tyrese Haliburton’s tunnel fits, you’re sure to find some bricks in there. I won't post any photos of them, but you can see some here if you’re looking for a good chuckle. When you’re experimenting and discovering your personal style, you’re going to brick some of your fits, too. Don’t hate the player, hate the game.
We can’t talk about Hali’s style without talking about his watches. He might have the best taste in watches in the NBA. Where athletes love going for big APs or Richard Mille watches, many of them are busted-down with aftermarket diamonds, Tyrese loves small vintage, gold watches. After he signed his latest contract, he tasked watch influencer Mike Nouveau to source a gold Cartier Crash, which typically retails for around $250,000. His collection also consists of a Cartier Tank Louis, a Cartier Pebble & a gold Rolex Presidential Day-Date, or as I like to call it: The Tony Soprano. He recently became a brand ambassador for Movado, so he’s been seen rocking vintage Movado pieces from the ‘60s and ‘70s lately.
I like Tyrese Haliburton, man. I know he’s the subject of a lot of internet hate, but he’s a cold as they come on the basketball court and he dresses the part off the court. This is what the NBA needs right now. An unsung hero to come out of nowhere and win it all. By the time this article comes out, the Pacers will either be tied 1-1 with the Thunder or they’ll be up 2-0 going back to Indiana. Either way, this is a playoff run none of us will soon forget.
Peace and Love