P.J. Tucker on Sneakers and Shooting Hoops

Over the past few decades, streetwear has thrown a series of massive curveballs, from 1980s high-meets-low statement dressing to 2000s minimalistic flair. The footwear industry is further proof: a recent partnership saw P.J. Tucker, a leading American basketball player for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA), and luxury champion Dolce & Gabbana unite to conceive two new fabrications of the Miami sneaker, mixing luxury fashion with the universe of basketball. Sticking to Sicilian traditions, the sneaker comes in two colourways – beige and orange – embodying the aesthetics of Italian expertise and the modern codes of sportswear. L’Uomo Vogue caught up with Tucker to discuss inspirations, creative development and marching forward.

You’ve been in the sports industry for a number of years. On a personal level, trying to establish yourself in a world shaped by rivalry can be a daunting process. How did you face that challenge? 
Throughout my life, I’ve always tried to approach every experience with an open mind and heart. When it comes to footwear, I feel like it was embedded in my DNA to the point where it completely consumed all of my thoughts even as a kid. Where I’m from, it was a big thing to have the best sneakers and wear the latest styles. I often missed the school bus because I would take so long deciding on my outfit for the day. Rivalry breeds competition. It’s good for the world. It makes you step up your game and it inspires people to dream, and I’ve always been a dreamer.

What’s your very first memory of fashion?
My first memory of fashion was in the fifth grade when I asked my mum to just give me money for Christmas so I could shop for myself. In the mid’90s, Will Smith was the guy. Michael Jordan and Andre Agassi had the cool Nike gear, but nobody did it like Will Smith did. He had the freshest kicks and the outfits to match his swag. Turning his school uniform blazer inside out with his cap on back to front – every cool kid wanted to be like the Fresh Prince.

So fashion has always been on your radar?
Even at a young age I was attracted to fashion, without me really being aware of it. It’s weird because you wonder why you do things as a kid, and even growing up you wonder why you do things or why you act a certain way. And looking back, fashion is one of those things I’ve always cared about. It has always been a part of my life, from being late to school because I was choosing what I wanted to wear, to picking what I wore to games, and even now as an adult.

What do you think about fashion collaborations in general?
I think everything is starting to collide. High fashion, streetwear, athletic wear, they’re all coming together. With so many people giving their take on each of them, we’re getting so many variations and they all combine to create a mix. You see people from athletics getting into high fashion and bringing their own athletic sense to that world. I think it’s the purest form of collaboration when you have people from different spheres coming together to inspire each other, with everybody bringing their style and contributing to making something that’s so much more than the sum of its parts.

What was it like working on the design and development phase of this project?
The creative process was very different because we did everything during the Covid lockdowns. It was all Zoom calls and text messages and coming up with ideas myself and sending them through, but we figured it out. It was actually fun, though.

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Opening photograph: P.J. Tucker hits the street in his new Miami sneaker fabrications created with Dolce & Gabbana. They feature his signature embroidered on heel and tongue, and come in Sicilian orange or beige.

Read the full interview by Chidozie Obasi in the July issue of L'Uomo, on newsstands from June 29th

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