Image via Getty/Gary Dineen
For anyone familiar with PJ Tucker, it is no secret that the Milwaukee Bucks forward has a penchant for fashion. His vast collection of rare sneakers has garnered him the title of NBA sneaker king over the last few years. Sometimes he wears things that are so exclusive, people don’t even know how he got them. Take the “PRFC” Air Jordan 5, a PE made for Carmelo Anthony and his NASL soccer team in Puerto Rico, that he wore back in April. Melo was even in shock when he saw Tucker wearing them. His fashion sense extends beyond sneakers too. He released a collection of sunglasses with Temples and Bridges back in February. He opened a boutique, Better Generation, in Houston. And with the help of highly-regarded stylist Kesha McLeod he continues to put together some of the best outfits we see in the NBA pregame tunnel night in and night out.
Tucker is a mainstay among the league’s best dressed players at this point, but the first two rounds of the 2021 NBA Playoffs have been especially notable. From delicate, crocheted Valentino pieces to monochromatic denim sets to lauded sneakers, his outfits have provided a great balance between runway pieces and nods to streetwear like snapback caps from Tuff Crowd or vintage graphic T-shirts from Roots BK.
“We have hints of, ‘you’ve never seen this yet,’ or holding onto items he hasn’t worn in years or somebody gifted him years ago. So we bring things out like that. That’s usually how the playoff process goes with him in particular,” McLeod tells Complex.
As much as Tucker is noted for his style in the tunnel, what happens on the court does still take precedence of course. McLeod says she knows when to discuss the next game fit and when to leave a player like Tucker to himself to lock in on the game, especially during the playoffs. Recently, Tucker’s Bucks found themselves down 2-0 in their series against the Nets (the Bucks are currently down 3-2 in the series). McLeod may not be as involved in the planning leading up to games like that, but it doesn’t mean that Tucker is going to phone in his fit just because he’s in the middle of a challenging series.
“He’s the type like, ‘Imma do it anyway. I don’t have down days. Yeah, we’re down, but I’m not going to have that mess up my spirit.’ He still looks on the brighter side of things,” McLeod tells Complex. “I try not to talk to [the players I’m styling] as much during playoffs because I know there’s a certain level of focus.”
With the 2021 NBA Playoffs currently in full swing, we spoke to McLeod about some of Tucker’s most notable tunnel looks from the past couple of weeks. Check out what she had to say about each below.
Key Piece: Green Valentino crochet bowling shirt
The standout piece here is obvious. It’s that green crochet shirt from Valentino embroidered with large pink flowers. Quite frankly, while all of Tucker’s playoff looks thus far have been strong, this is the one that pretty much inspired this list. He kept the rest of the outfit simple here with brown trousers, “Neptune Green” Kasina x Nike Dunk Lows, and a pair of his own sunglasses collab with Temples and Bridges. And who doesn’t love a pregame coffee? The floral bowling shirt is a rather fitting choice when you consider he was in Miami at the time. Pure vacation vibes. McLeod notes that Tucker initially took a liking to the shirt when it was first presented on the runway back in September 2020 in Milan during the designer’s Spring 2021 Ready-to-Wear show. But due to the production restrictions of the pandemic, it took a bit longer to actually get the piece in hand.
McLeod was hesitant about Tucker wearing the Valentino shirt though. Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum had worn it a few games earlier and she didn’t want it to seem repetitive. There were some tweaks though that made each look its own. Tatum wore it unbuttoned with a white tank top underneath and paired it with tan trousers, while Tucker opted for a buttoned-up look, no undershirt, and darker pants. She notes the great relationship she and Tucker have been able to build with many designers, like Valentino, over the years is very important to the whole equation.
“I let PJ talk to these people personally because it’s good to have the client interact. It’s good for me to talk to PR, but it’s also better if the client becomes their friend.”
Key Piece: Orange Dolce and Gabbana logo bag
Here, Tucker decided to let his accessories be the standout. He paired his all-blue ensemble, a denim jacket, jeans, and T-shirt from the Heron Preston for Calvin Klein collection, with a bright orange Dolce & Gabbana bag embossed with the house’s interlocking D&G logo and an equally loud pair of orange low top sneakers. At the time, the Knicks were still in the playoffs, so there was slight hesitancy to wear the team’s signature blue and orange color scheme, but McLeod’s solution was to break up the colors by altering some pieces.
“It was Knicks colors and the Knicks were in the playoffs, so I’m like, ‘You don’t wanna wear Knicks colors, but if you do, it needs to be broken up. Those weren’t shorts. They were pants,” says McLeod. She notes that the shorts were cut from a pair of straight-legged jeans, an alteration especially for Tucker.
Round 2, Game 1
Key Piece: Jacquemus camp collar shirt and shorts
After a clean sweep of the Miami Heat, the Milwaukee Bucks advanced to the second round where they would face the Brooklyn Nets. And you know Tucker had to show out for Game 1 in Brooklyn. He arrived to the Barclays Center in a matching camp collar shirt and shorts set from Jacquemus that was released as part of the designer’s Spring/Summer 2020 collection. The lime green pieces were covered with white floral embroidery. Of course, you know the sneakers had to be good too. For this particular fit, he went with the Questlove x Nike Air Force 1s from 2008. McLeod says the goal for game 1s is always to make a statement.
“Game 1s are always a lot of pressure for me because you don’t know who is going to do what and what tone they are going to set, and what tone you yourself want to set. You don’t want to wear an outfit that somebody else might walk in with because there’s so many game 1s that day. It’s best in my opinion to always go with something from the past that you want to bring out. Game 1s do not call for a brand new outfit, in my opinion,” McLeod tells Complex. “Sets are easy, but it’s getting that right set that’s going to set him apart from the rest. You look good when you look coordinated.”
McLeod has gotten used to working with Tucker, who has played in Houston and Milwaukee this past season, from a distance. Still, she acknowledges that being able to attend fittings and see him face to face (she lives in the New York City area) has been beneficial.
“When he is [in Milwaukee], we virtually style and I’m sending him things, but [when he’s in Brooklyn] I’m able to have those things here, see him in the physical, and really convince him,” says McLeod. “I have a particular way of how I style and he has a particular way of expressing to me how things are with him. When we’re in person, it meshes better.”
Round 2, Game 2
Key Piece: “Pigeon” Jeff Staple x Nike SB Dunk Low
It might seem like it’s all about the look, but practicality plays a factor sometimes too. McLeod says that that was at least part of the reason for Tucker’s shirt choice ahead of Game 2 in Brooklyn on June 7. The lightweight, sheer shirt was designed by New York-based designer Bode and was paired with a pair of tobacco-colored cargo pants. Tucker’s shoes are always a topic of conversation for plenty of people, but on this particular night they were the star of the show. The Bucks forward opted to lace up the infamous “Pigeon” Jeff Staple x Nike SB Dunk Low, his own subtle nod to New York City. When it comes to sneakers, McLeod says she sometimes helps narrow down to the final choice, but they are all Tucker. She’s often planning outfits around the sneakers that Tucker wants to wear.
“That’s how it always works. He knows what sneaker he wants. And I preferred that sneaker for game 2. It just made sense in my head. So, it was finding a look that meshed with the sneaker well. Bode is a personal favorite of his. We went to her show, and met Emily, and the whole team is great,” says McLeod. “[That shirt] is a piece I acquired that day actually. He loved it and went with it for game 2. I was surprised he went with it for game 2 though.”
Round 2, Game 3
Key Piece: Bottega Veneta Bubble Boucle Pants
Not everyone can pull off a short sleeve leather shirt, but Tucker was able to ahead of his round 2, game 3 matchup with the Nets earlier this month. He paired a black leather top from Acne Studios with a pair of off white and yellow boucle pants from Bottega Veneta. The pattern slightly resembles snakeskin from afar. In hand, Tucker can be seen clutching a pair of Aleali May x Air Jordan 14 Lows that have yet to officially release.
McLeod says that the black leather shirt has actually been something that Tucker has wanted to wear for awhile. Initially, he was going to wear it with a pair of matching leather pants earlier this season, but it was repurposed for this look. She talked him out of wearing it at the time because it was “98 degrees” outside. She says her and Tucker did not talk much prior to this particular game, but she knew that he had been wanting to wear the shirt at some point.
“There’s no conversation that needs to be had when there’s more important things on the line,” says McLeod, referring to the Bucks 2-0 series deficit at the time. (the Bucks would go on to win game 3)
Round 2, Game 4
Key Piece: Valentino chocolate brown crochet set
McLeod has a thing for crochet. She makes it known over the phone. And it makes sense when you look at some of Tucker’s strongest looks from this year’s playoffs thus far. He revisited the Valentino crochet look for his round 2, game 4 matchup with the Nets. This time, he went all out by rocking a full set, a chocolate brown crochet shirt and matching pair of shorts. He still gave the look his own subtle touches too, a nod to former NBA player Brandon Jennings by rocking a cap from his label Tuff Crowd, pair of brown Gucci socks, and brown “Kiss of Death” Clot x Nike Air Max 1s that dropped earlier this year.
“I’ve always loved sheer and fishnet. I champion that and go towards it. It’s great to now have him hold my hand in the process instead of, ‘Kesha I’m not going to do it today,” McLeod tells Complex. “Wearing fishnet tops and being that risk taker has nothing to do with your masculinity. I think it’s beautiful when men express themselves and there’s nothing wrong with that. More men should.”
Above all, McLeod says this particular outfit was about making sure Tucker had a strong look at his home arena.
“Milwaukee is home. That’s a home game look. Strong looks at home,” says McLeod. “The socks, the sneakers with the clear panels, it all just hit perfectly at once. I saw him in the set early on. I knew how it fit. It just works.”