JAN. 5 — Draped in all black, Jarred Vanderbilt stepped onto a Houston red carpet prior to a contest against the team that hailed from his hometown.
The Los Angeles Lakers, ready for their first of two back-to-back road games in Texas, had a night off from the national spotlight. Vanderbilt was still recovering from nearly a year of foot injuries and a knee setback.
On the bench against the Rockets, he still dressed out.
“Over the last couple of years, the tunnel looks have been a big part of pregame,” Vanderbilt said. “Being able to wear certain pieces and express yourself through how you dress, it’s been way more highlighted.”
Black jeans spilled over a pair of white sneakers as Vanderbilt sported a zip-up hoodie layered over a dark gray T-shirt. A Chrome Hearts lanyard dangled from his right hip and a baseball cap tied the look together.
It was, in his own words, “an exciting period.”
“Obviously it’s been a while since I played,” he said a few days before his season debut — two weeks after the trip to Houston. “So I think those natural nerves (will be there), but other than that, I’m excited.”
Vanderbilt was three weeks away from hitting the court again for the Lakers that night, but when he finally returned, this time donning a purple and gold jersey, his impact was immediate.
“He plays hard,” Lakers coach J.J. Redick said. “He’s a banshee.”
“What he does don’t even show (up) in the box score,” LeBron James added.
For the remainder of the season, Vanderbilt continued to deliver on the defensive end for a Lakers team that shipped out its best rim protector to land Slovenian superstar Luka Dončić at the NBA’s trade deadline.
Losing Anthony Davis was a big hit, but adding Dončić gave Vanderbilt more first-hand exposure to players with winning experience.
“The way they think and approach the game,” Vanderbilt said, “the way they get everybody involved … just learning from them has been huge. They make the game easier for everyone.”
Perhaps the one area Vanderbilt needed no guidance in was his dress.
“I’ve always been into fashion,” Vanderbilt said. “Since I was young. Now, I’m finally able to display it and tap into it.”
Some nights are bigger than others as far as dressing out is concerned. For Vanderbilt, draft night in 2018 wasn’t one of them.
The Kentucky product was expected to hear his name called by time the night was through, but he wasn’t among the 19 invitees in the green room at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. Both his college teammate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and future teammate Michael Porter Jr. had that honor.
While the pair ended up being selected three picks apart in the first round, Vanderbilt was selected by Denver with the No. 41 overall pick in the second round. He made his first impression wearing a black sweatsuit.
“I’ll be honest, the night of the draft I didn’t know anything about Jarred Vanderbilt,” then-Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. “When they told me he could guard multiple positions, I was sold.”
With a reputation as an on-ball defender following him from Lexington and a substantial amount of work to do offensively, Vanderbilt figured it best to build his foundation upon the former.
“Once I got to the NBA, I realized defense could be one of my main niches,” he said. “Something that could help me stick around. I leaned into that.”
Next to Porter and under Nikola Jokić, who still hadn’t broken out into the perennial MVP candidate he’s become, Vanderbilt was able to begin tailoring his game to a professional level. But it didn’t come without struggle.
“It was a big transition,” Vanderbilt admitted. “Going straight from college to a winning team and winning program … I was able to learn the game and develop good habits early.”
Vanderbilt hasn’t forgotten what it meant to wear Midnight Blue.
“Even though I wasn’t playing much, it was a good experience to be part of that culture early on,” Vanderbilt said. “I was there when it started, and to see them go on and win a championship four years later, that was dope.”
Back then, Vanderbilt enjoyed the luxury of pregame photoshoots in arena tunnels. It was a fixture of the NBA that was noticeably absent from collegiate ball, and served as a platform to express himself, to honor fashion icons who influenced him as deeply as the players who shaped his game.
Allen Iverson, Dennis Rodman and Russell Westbrook represented the fashion side of celebrity. They “bridged the gap,” while Penny Hardaway and Tracy McGrady became Vanderbilt’s basketball idols.
He didn’t forget James, either.
“The fact that some of those guys, like LeBron, are still in the league and I get to play alongside them,” Vanderbilt began, “It’s a testament to my journey — what it took to get here. It’s pretty dope to be in this moment.”
Vanderbilt now boasts one of the best defenses on the Lakers as a plug-and-play disruptor with as much off-ball impact as point-of-attack. Beyond excelling at guarding elite playmakers, he enjoys it.
“I like the challenge,” he said, naming Anthony Edwards, Kevin Durant and Jayson Tatum as three of his favorite matchups. “Guarding some of the best scorers in the league is always fun for me.”
Those are some of the bigger nights Vanderbilt talks about.
Those nights, he dresses like it.
David Rimokh tabs himself a lifelong Los Angeles Lakers fan.
The RtA Brand founder regularly visits Crypto.com Arena, just a few blocks away from the company’s downtown office, for home games and did so before its rebrand, as well. It was there he noticed Vanderbilt’s “timeless” style.
“Whether he’s playing or not, you notice the way he dresses,” Rimokh said.
That alone was enough to get the wheels turning on a potential collaboration between the parties; Rimokh wanted an athlete who matched RtA’s identity. He found that not in what Vanderbilt was wearing, but how it was chosen.
“He doesn’t use a stylist,” Rimokh explained. “What he wears, he picks himself. That’s rare. You can usually tell when a player’s styled by someone else. Jarred knows what he’s doing.”
Paired with Vanderbilt’s aggressive defense, RtA was sold. Vanderbilt agreed on a partnership and punched his ticket into the fashion industry with the “Ridin’ Dirty” capsule collection, which paid homage to his hometown.
“The colors and pieces were inspired by Houston culture,” Vanderbilt said. “The candy-paint colors and stuff like that, it was all inspired by the city. How I was raised, how I grew up.”
Vanderbilt was enamored at the collection when he first laid eyes on it.
“He saw how much effort went into the samples,” Rimokh said. “These weren’t just printed tees. There was embroidery, paneling, leatherwork. He recognized the craft … it meant something to him.”
The capsule collection included an array of merchandise, but featured two specific pieces that were commissioned exclusively for the Lakers’ star.
Per RtA, Vanderbilt’s Marco Jacket features a tan leather base accented by Candy Red paneling on the sleeves, a sharp collar and ribbed cuffs, while the matching Rafael Pant’s oversized fit helps blend retro and modern aesthetics.
“Houston has a rich car culture that mirrors some of the energy you see in L.A.,” Rimokh said. “We built around that. The leather set was inspired by a vintage Cadillac with red candy paint and a quilted beige interior. That set took serious craftsmanship … it really felt like something special.”
Vanderbilt had a hand in all of it — a rare thing for athletes, says Rimokh.
“This is my introduction to fashion,” Vanderbilt said. “It’s something I’ve always wanted to do. I was really grateful for the opportunity to put my ideas and thoughts into some of the pieces. Seeing it come to life was really dope.”
Now 26, Vanderbilt has an avenue to pursue in the fashion industry with his own collection. What makes his different than most, however, is what’s running parallel. In seven seasons, the forward has played for four different franchises and seen the NBA’s transactional underbelly.
He’s also seen what it takes to be successful.
“I think now, compared to when I first got in the league, I’ve been able to really establish myself,” Vanderbilt said. “I have a lot more experience: regular season, playoffs, Western Conference Finals. That’s huge in this league.”
Despite being eliminated in the first round of the playoffs this season, Los Angeles has reason to be optimistic heading into the summer. Like it was in 2023, the Lakers’ core was assembled midseason and thrust into postseason action a couple of months later with little practice.
That time, Vanderbilt and his teammates got lucky.
He plans to be better dressed for the occasion when it circles back around.
“We just need more time together,” Vanderbilt said. “I’m excited for that … about being on the veteran side and taking advantage of entering my prime.”
