The 2023 NBA Draft was filled with double-breasted suits, jewels and suede. It also had Gradey Dick showing ruby-red love to Kansas — as in “There’s no place like home.” (Watch “The Wizard of Oz” if you’re trying to understand.)
On a night each player drafted will remember for the rest of his life, we take a look at the best of the best outfits from the NBA’s next generation. Of course, there will be a few names everyone knows, but I also added some second-round sleepers who may have slipped your eye.
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Analysis, fits for all 58 NBA Draft picks from John Hollinger and Sam Vecenie
And yes, we couldn’t go without talking about the Kansas wing. In fact, let’s start with him — and another player with a suit that everyone immediately noticed.
Bonus 1: Gradey Dick, Toronto Raptors
The former Jayhawk and Kansas native paid homage to Dorothy from “The Wizard of Oz” with his red double-breasted sequin suit coat. Dick’s jacket had a custom turtleneck built in with wide shoulders to give it a boxier look.
He added slim black shades and an iced-out chain to his eye-catching red coat. He made it seem as though he was pre-prepared to be a Raptor.
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Bonus 2: Keyonte George, Utah Jazz
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George rocked a patterned silver and burgundy suit with a tapered jacket. The pattern makes it difficult to see, but his coat is tailored to end just above his pockets. He styled the suit with a burgundy shirt and a chain as a substitute for a tie.
George rounded out his fit with a diamond watch on his left wrist and a bracelet of the same caliber on his right.
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10. Jalen Hood-Schifino, L.A. Lakers
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The Lakers got a steal in Hood-Schifino, and judging by his draft-night fit, he’s ready for the bright lights of Los Angeles. His suede is a bit shinier than the rest of the pack, but I liked the green. Hood-Schifino also represents one of two bow ties on this list. (That is, if you can see the tie through his assortment of chains, namely his “Fino” chain.)
Fino is a nickname from his mom not only indicative of his last name but also representing an acronym: Failure Is No Option. That rang true for him Thursday.
9. Jalen Wilson, Brooklyn Nets
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The 2022 national champ went with a lot of red and a lot of suede, but I was a fan of it. Wilson also marks our only necktie of these rankings, also red suede.
Not much jewelry from Wilson here, but I do appreciate the iced-out watch peeking from under his left sleeve.
8. Cason Wallace, Oklahoma City Thunder
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Wallace represented much more than himself on draft night with his black-and-red “HPT” print suit coat.
The Kentucky Wildcat initially was drafted by the Dallas Mavericks before being traded to the Thunder. He grew up in Dallas’ Hamilton Park, historically a predominantly Black neighborhood located in north Dallas. Wallace styled his suit with a red bow tie, red pants, red accents throughout and burgundy loafers.
While Wallace won’t play home games in Dallas, he’ll be a short flight away in Oklahoma City.
7. Taylor Hendricks, Utah Jazz
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Hendricks added some much-needed color to the draft and these rankings with his pink suit. His satin shirt offers a nice contrast with its sheen, and I really appreciate that he made sure that sheen came through each of his suit sleeves.
The inside of Hendricks’ coat had details from his young basketball journey, including pictures of himself in high school. It was a nice personal touch.
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6. Leonard Miller, Minnesota Timberwolves
Miller was as emotional as any Thursday night. But not only was he accomplishing a lifeline goal of walking the draft stage, he also did so in style.
The G League Ignite product dressed his suit down a bit, wearing just a black T-shirt and chain, but it worked so well to me. Overall, a smooth fit that looked as if it was almost effortless to pull off.
5. Kobe Bufkin, Atlanta Hawks
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There must be something about the swag Michigan players enter the league with, because Bufkin’s style instantly reminded me of new Wizards guard Jordan Poole.
Bufkin was one of a handful of players who opted for no shirt under their suit coat — double-breasted, that is. He also went with an assortment of chains and pearls to add to his look. I like the small streaks of black throughout his suit to give it more than just a standard white appearance.
4. Cam Whitmore, Houston Rockets
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While Whitmore became arguably the most intriguing storyline of the night, slipping out of a projected top-10 pick and sliding to No. 20, the constant for him was his outfit. Look good, feel good, draft good wasn’t necessarily the formula for Whitmore, but his blacked-out, double-breasted suit didn’t get the memo.
It falls under the not-so-flashy category, but it felt like a statement. His “CW” initial chain looks like it could be one of the cooler player logos in time and made for a great design. Whitmore made sure he had almost bell-bottom, free-flowing pant legs that seemed to be in theme in the 2023 draft.
3. Amen Thompson, Houston Rockets
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Amen Thompson and his brother, Ausar, nearly wore the same double-breasted suits — fitting for twin brothers and history-making back-to-back picks — but something about Amen’s cream suit made his look much more crisp. It almost felt like a 2023 rendition of LeBron James’ ultra-baggy draft-night fit 20 years ago.
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The only jewelry Amen wore outside of his watch was a black flower lapel pin. His beige Chelsea boots rounded out a very mature, sleek fit that landed him among the top three spots for this ranking.
2. Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs
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The 7-foot-5 prospect essentially locked up the No. 1 spot in the draft as soon as it was announced San Antonio won the lottery. Wembanyama’s green double-breasted suit nearly assured he was the flyest on draft night, as well.
First off, that amount of fabric alone is impressive. The suit also had straps running near Wembanyama’s stomach to offer something different than your average double-breasted suit. It looked as though he intentionally had his pants hemmed to be slightly baggy and flowy, which to me was a dope look considering how tall he is. Finally, he wore a diamond ring on his left pinky and right index finger.
The French native seemed awfully comfortable being the center of attention, which suits his career trajectory.
1. Scoot Henderson, Portland Trail Blazers
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Henderson likely had one of the most intentional looks of the draft. Starting with his custom grill and chains, he had corresponding colors for his siblings’ birthstones. The jewels on his chest represent his mother and father. His back was filled with red jewels for his brothers and the protection they grant him.
The No. 3 pick complemented all of the bling in his suit by adding a few bracelets and pinky rings. The detail in his suit made him the winner of draft night as far as fashion was concerned.
(Photo: Michael J. LeBrecht II / NBAE via Getty Images)