Walt “Clyde” Frazier is a national treasure. He was a Hall of Fame player for the New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers, and now plies his trade doing TV analysis for the Knicks. On top of his delightful catch phrases (“posting and toasting”and “dishing and swishing”, for example), he’s also known for wearing some crazy, wheels-off suits.
For Sunday’s matinee with the Hawks, Frazier donned what was perhaps his most insane suit yet (via @seth_rosenthal):
Even for Clyde, this is something else. We’ve got zebra, giraffe, leopard and tiger all represented, from the looks of it. Why wear just one animal pattern when you can wear them all? Fair question.
This got us to thinking. Would anyone else in the NBA have a prayer of actually pulling this off? Surprisingly, yes!
Russell Westbrook:
You knew he had to be here, right? I mean, look at this. And this. Russ is no stranger to animal print, and these are tame examples by his lofty fashion standards.
This one is my personal favorite, though, courtesy of Westbrook’s Instagram:
What…is this? #fashionking, indeed.
Mike Dunleavy, Jr.: Mike Dunleavy, Jr. isn’t really known for wearing crazy suits, but the back injury that has kept him out all season has allowed him to do a bit of experimenting. He celebrated the Bulls’ 60s night earlier this year VERY appropriately. More recently, he donned an ugly Christmas sweater in honor of the holiday season. Could he pull-off Clyde Frazier’s zoo outfit? There’s only one way to find out. The ball’s in your court now, Mike.
Dennis Rodman: Does this one really require explanation?
James Harden: The Beard is a sort of Russell Westbrook Lite when it comes to his fashion choices. They don’t tend to be as wild as Westbrook’s, but they’re still pretty out there. Anyone that’ll casually wear a big ol’ cowboy hat in public deserves a place on this list.
Nick Young: If you’re going to call yourself “Swaggy P.” you’d better be able to rock the safari outfit.
Calvin Murphy: Murphy, a Rockets broadcaster, doesn’t draw as much attention as Frazier, but his style has been top class for decades. His versatility makes him the Draymond Green of the wacky suit game.
Craig Sager: Craig Sager is the Bird to Clyde Frazier’s Magic. The KG to Clyde’s Duncan. The LeBron to Clyde’s Kobe. You can’t stop him, you can only hope to contain him.