The three-part series “Courts and Culture” wrapped up this week on The Point Forward Podcast with Evan Turner and Andre Iguodala detailing their favorite places to shop in the United States, learned through their time and travel.
Evan Turner and Andre Iguodala talk their favorite shopping on ‘Point Forward’
‘Point Forward’ discussing the best shopping cities, and best-dressed NBA players
James Dator has been covering a wide range of sports for SB Nation for over a decade, with a special focus on the NFL.
NBA players have the fingers on the pulse about the best spots to go, perhaps better than anyone. After all, we’re talking about men with disposable incomes, an eye for fashion, and a network of players all around the nation to tell them about the best sports in each city.
When you’re as tall as a basketball player it’s not always easy to just grab something off the rack and make it work. It’s here where having a network comes in handy.
“It’s hard to find clothes for tall guys,” Iguodala says. “NBA players, we have those conversations all the time — like, ‘yo, where can I find a t-shirt? Where can I find a belt? Where can I find a tie? Where can I find a look?”
Evan Turner is the expert in finding places to shop, according to Iguodala. His list of the best places to find clothes is a mixture of two very predictable answers, and one that’s entirely out of left field.
- Rodeo Drive, Los Angeles
- SoHo, New York City
- The Mall at Millenia, Orlando
Turner is very firm in his belief that Fifth Avenue in NYC is all hype. It might be the best-known place to buy luxury clothes in the city, but he’s taking SoHo any day of the week. Iguodala completely agrees with this assessment, so let it be known the next time you’re looking to find a fit in the city.
Another big sleeper is the Scottsdale Mall in Phoenix. This just goes to show that two of the most world-renowned shopping locations aren’t that far off some luxury malls in cities you’d never really expect.
A big part of the experience is the ambience, which plays a huge role in how good an era is to shop. One of Iggy’s favorites, Wynwood in Miami is special to Turner because of how it feels to shop there in late-fall and winter.
“Wynwood — to shop there in November or December just hits different when you’re coming from a Philly or a Denver. I’m killing two birds with one stone: I’m getting Vitamin D and getting drip.”
Beyond there own experience, Iguodala shared the three people he’d like to shop with the most who are currently playing in the NBA. It’s interesting to consider, and really about how that person’s style matches up with what you think looks good. Iguodala’s three are:
- OG Anunoby: For the way he mixes European flair with U.S. clothing styles.
- Tyler Herro: For the pure unadulterated swag
- LeBron James: Mostly because it’s just LeBron
Turner roasted the Bron idea a little, saying “it’s mostly just a lot of short pants, colorful socks, and dunks — basically.”
The one guy you don’t want to mess with in the league when it comes to clothes is Steph Curry. Turner says a lot of people have a tendency to roast Steph’s look, and he said that making fun of Curry’s clothes was the only time he ever really see him get truly angry on the court like he wanted to knock him out. The reason? Ayesha Curry handles all Steph’s clothes, so he took it as an attack on his wife.
Who knew?
It’s been absolutely fascinating to explore the culture of NBA players off the court with Turner and Iguodala in this series. Their takes on international travel, dining, shopping and experiencing every city shows the breadth of knowledge these players develop. Honestly, we need a true travel guide to each NBA city from the players. The only issue is that it might blow up some of their best-kept secrets.
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