JAMES Harden’s big move to Brooklyn has been one of the most talked-about NBA story arcs so far this season, and it’s not hard to see why.
It’s a familiar trope: After many long, ringless years with his team, a superstar starts to feel that his legacy is on the line, so he departs, stirs up some hot tea on the way out, and joins a star-studded squad with ostensibly better prospects. We know well enough by now why it’s ripe for red-hot takes from fans and haters alike.
But Harden, as usual, is indifferent to his critics, and optimistic about his new digs. He says as much himself, but one might also figure that out from how he dresses — that is, with the same James Harden flare we all know and love. Check it out:
Let’s break it down: Pink! Pink knitwear! Soft, bright, fuzzy pink knitwear! No one has ever known James Harden to be a man of subtle style, but even for him, this is an unusual sort of flex.
And it most certainly is a flex, by the way, because that striped turtleneck is a cashmere-blend knit by Dior Hommes. Plus, if you’re wondering why it looks especially great with those kicks, it’s because they’re also by Dior.
Harden’s outfit works not just because all those colors work well together (which is certainly true). It works also because the fit feels like an appropriate signal of his general disposition. Even in Houston, this guy was more often decked out in blacks, grays, and earth tones, so the bright, bubblegum quality of this new look feels like an intentional roll-eyes emoji to the general buzz around his big move.
Plus, that color scheme looks very close to the just-released Harden Vol. 5 Futurenatural.

And if our speculation is wrong — if this is just what he happened to wear that day, for no particular reason — then at the very least, The Beard deserves to be recognized for pulling off an unconventional fit. The denim-on-denim pairing of outerwear and jeans? The soft pink with bright, lemon yellow sneakers? Harden tries a lot of crazy sh*t with his outfits, and it doesn’t always work. This time, though, it did.
As for whether or not the new Brooklyn Big Three can pull it together and start looking like a true contender, we’ll have to see. But along the way, you can count on James Harden to at least dress the part.
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