IF THERE'S a player on the current Los Angeles Lakers roster who’s more polarizing than LeBron James, it’s most definitely Kyle Kuzma. While the guy definitely has fans, he also has throngs of haters, for just as many reasons.
One might point to his inconsistent performance lately: Of the Lakers’ 17 games so far this season, Kuz has racked up four double-doubles, but also seven single-digit scores. With his relatively lackluster performance last season, you can see why people have begun to question this Lakers young gun.
But Kuzma’s polarity extends to his off-court image, too, including his outfits. He’s clearly a guy who dresses with intention, and sometimes, his intention is shock and awe. Case in point:
You don’t even need to peep the comments to know what everyone’s saying about this fit, which he wore before the Lakers faced the Bulls in Chicago. The sweater, in particular, exudes serious tita energy, and like Kuzma himself, it has handily racked up haters by the dozen.
But allow us to offer the unpopular flip-side opinion. First of all, know that the sweater is, in fact, a men’s piece, from Raf Simons’ Spring/Summer 2019 collection. More important, though, is the argument that Kuzma is, in his own little way, pushing the envelope of men’s style.
Menswear in general is drifting towards more towards gender-neutrality lately. Even soft, flowy, lacy stuff is working on guys, too.... and yes, pearls, too! Just ask Harry Styles. In fact, don’t even bother looking past the NBA — fit god Jordan Clarkson himself wore a kilt.
There’s a subversive, rockstar appeal to this mode of men’s style — remember ’80s glam rock? — and in 2021, it’s helping us to question and redefine traditional notions of masculinity.
Regardless of how you feel about Kuzma’s outfit, you might at least appreciate how he occasionally contributes to a more progressive view of what men can wear.
It’s style flexes like these — and his other out-there, wild-style fits — that show Kuzma’s sartorial eccentricity. But lest we forget, he’s also quick to remind us that he also knows how to pare it down from time to time:
This simple, minimal black set-up shows that Kuzma knows exactly what he’s doing when he steps out in freakier clothes. And if you don’t believe it, well, he probably doesn’t care anyway.
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