Fashion has become a resounding statement-maker in the NBA. Players express themselves and their stories through their attire. However, with the abstract nature, not all can relate to a certain style. Kyle Kuzma suffered bludgeoning backlash for one such piece. He wore a Pepto-pink Raf Simons sweater. The length of the clothing piece and its sleeves had his NBA peers questioning his decisions.

At the time his Instagram went wild. LeBron James, a former teammate of his said “I’m not pressing the like button cause this is outrageous Kuz!,”. And even though it’s been years, the sweater is still a talking point. Lou Williams on the Run It Back Show displayed no mercy when speaking about Kuzma’s fashion. “I didn’t see anybody else wear that. I don’t know what trend he thought he set,” the former Clipper said.

Tyus Jones, who shared last season with Kuzma in Washington tried to defend his former pal. He made sure both Williams and Chandler Parsons knew the stretch forward simply didn’t care. However, finding out that the sweater is being used to sully his style even nearly two years after he wore it seems to have agitated Kyle Kuzma.

The Wizards forward wrote a scathing tweet in response to Parsons and Williams’ rebuttal. “This is not the first time… hop off my d**k please!,” he wrote. 

Nevertheless, in terms of his vulnerability, Kuzma isn’t affected by the takes on his fashion choices. Even though Parsons feels Kuzma “set a trend to not wear that again,”, there was someone who did. When the Wizards visited Japan during the 2022-23 preseason, a fan in the stands wore the exact sweater that has now become iconic due to Kuz.

The forward, on noticing it hugged the fan and later deemed him a “legend” on Twitter.

Kyle Kuzma is making waves in the fashion world

For several reasons, Kuzma doesn’t bat an eye over the reaction to his outfits. For the Wizards forward, the clothes he presents to the world dictate a story. The sweater, in particular, he views as “art”. Witnessing the global buzz it generated, Kuzma decided to hang the sweater in his house as a memorable capsule to look back on.

But his influence has grown far beyond that one instance. Since partnering with PUMA, the 29-year-old has walked the runway at the New York Fashion Week. To Kuz, fashion has always been something that appealed to him. It is a commonality he shares with his longtime girlfriend and model Winnie Harlow. “We always bounce ideas off each other,” he told People.

To take his dreams a step further, in November 2022, he worked meticulously to devise his own creation. That gave way to ‘Childhood Dreams’, his own youthful clothing line that PUMA helped to launch. The brand in itself is a reflection of Kyle Kuzma. “What really made me name the brand ‘Childhood Dreams.’ As a young kid, this is all I ever wanted to be – a basketball player – my priority all my life. And 20-something-odd years later, I’m doing that,” he said.

Fashion will remain an integral part of Kuzma’s life. His unconventional fits are aimed at being a medium for him to unlock his creativity and unravel a tale through his clothing. As far as the talks around it go, it remains an underlying intention for Kuz. “It’s something we can start a conversation over and talk about. There are just so many outlets that fashion brings,” he says.

So if people continue to talk about his outfits from years ago, Kyle Kuzma seems to be achieving what he set off for using his creativity. What are your opinions on NBA fashion in general? Let us know your views in the comments below.