NBA players are known to be among the best-dressed athletes in professional sports, and high style often goes hand in hand with fine timepieces. Many NBA players have extensive collections of luxury watches, and some of them even serve as official watch ambassadors for some of the industry’s top brands.
In terms of makers and models, there are some clear favorites around the league. Rolex and Audemars Piguet lead the way with models like the Day-Date and Royal Oak, while Patek Philippe has some noteworthy complications. Let’s explore some of the luxury watches worn by these top NBA players.
Giannis Antetokounmpo
– Audemars Piguet
– Rolex
In December 2020, two-time NBA MVP and Defensive Player of the Year Award winner Yannis Antetokounmpo signed a five-year, $228 million contract extension with the Milwaukee Bucks. the Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Diver wears a black rubber strap on his wrist.
We also spotted Giannis Antetokounmpo wearing several Rolex watches, including the understated stainless steel Oyster Perpetual version and the steel and black Cerachrom Daytona ref. 116500LN with a white “Panda” dial.
Nikola Jokić
– Hublot
– Rolex
In 2018, Nikola Jokic signed a five-year contract extension with the Denver Nuggets that was reportedly worth $147 million, a sizable investment for the team. When Nikola Jokic was awarded the NBA Most Valuable Player Award for the 2020-21 season, he was not only the first Nuggets player to win the award, but was considered the lowest draft pick ever to win the award.
During an exhibition basketball game in Belgrade, Nikola Jokic (sitting next to tennis star and fellow Serb Novak Djokovic) was spotted wearing a huge rose gold Hublot watch on his wrist, which we’ve seen him wear several times since then. He also wears a Rolex GMT-Master II watch with a blue and black bezel, often referred to by watch enthusiasts as “Batman” – a good choice for the player nicknamed “The Joker”. A great choice for the player nicknamed “The Joker”.
Damian Lillard
– Rolex
– Tissot
When six-time NBA All-Star Damian Lillard isn’t busy training and playing for the Portland Trail Blazers, he’s probably in the studio making music. He has released three studio albums under his rap name Dame D.O.L.L.A.
While Damian Lillard was recently signed as a Tissot ambassador, we also see him wearing a couple of classic Rolex watches. He has the perennial favorite Rolex Day-Date in yellow gold with the iconic President strap, as well as the two-tone Datejust II with a black dial and Oyster strap.
LeBron James
– Audemars Piguet
– Patek Philippe
– Richard Mille
– Rolex
Fans of LeBron James will tell you that he is the greatest basketball player of all time. The superstar joined the Los Angeles Lakers in 2018 on a four-year, $153 million contract. He is the fifth-highest paid athlete in 2021, according to Forbes. In addition to the litany of accolades, the four-time NBA champion has amassed quite the collection of luxury watches, including watches from brands like Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, Richard Mille and, of course, Rolex.
LeBron James is an ambassador for Audemars Piguet (he even has a limited edition watch named after him), so it’s no surprise that he wears Audemars Piguet watches regularly, including the limited edition Royal Oak Concept Panther Flying Tourbillon. LeBron James’ Patek Philippe watches include the gold and diamond Nautilus and the celestial 6102R Grande Complication.
LeBron James also has a lot of Rolex watches; we find him wearing a yellow gold Day-Date II with a black dial, a yellow gold Sky-Dweller, a yellow gold Yacht-Master II, an Everose gold Day-Date 40 with an olive green anniversary dial, and a yellow gold Day-Date 40 with a champagne Roman numeral dial. even The latest entry-level Rolex Oyster Perpetual model also caught the eye of LeBron James – he opted for the 41mm OP 124300 with its striking coral red dial.
LaMelo Ball
– Audemars Piguet
– Rolex
In 2020, LaMelo Ball followed in the footsteps of his younger brother Lonzo Ball and joined the NBA, where he was selected by the Charlotte Hornets in the first round of the draft with the third pick and was named the 2020-21 NBA Rookie of the Year.
So far, we’ve seen the young basketball player wear two luxury watches. For his sporting watch, LaMelo Ball wears an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore, and for his examining choice, he has a two-tone Rolex Log with a custom diamond setting. We wouldn’t be surprised if the Hornets point guard will be adding some additional fine watches to his collection in the near future.
Steph Curry
– Audemars Piguet
– Cartier
– Rolex
Often considered the greatest shooter in NBA history, two-time MVP and three-time NBA champion Stephen Curry signed a five-year, $201 million contract extension with the Golden State Warriors in 2017 – the first contract in the NBA worth more than $200 million.
Steph Curry’s taste in watches shows that he is a fan of pink gold timepieces. We’ve seen the point guard wear a rose gold Cartier Santos with a skeleton dial, a rose gold Royal Oak Offshore with a blue dial, and a stellar gold Day-Date President with a chocolate brown dial. Stephen Curry has also worn the stainless steel Rolex Deepsea Diver, which is water resistant to an incredible 3,900 meters (12,800 feet).
Kevin Durant
– Rolex
After three years with the Golden State Warriors, Kevin Durant joins the Brooklyn Nets in 2019 on a four-year, $164 million contract. The two-time NBA champion and 11-time All-Star is the 10th highest-paid athlete in 2021, with numerous endorsement deals and business ventures.
If we look at KD’s timepieces, it’s clear he has a thing for Rolex watches. In addition to his classic yellow gold Day-Date II “President” bezel, he was seen wearing the latest steel Daytona with a black ceramic bezel and white dial. Another Rolex watch in Kevin Durant’s collection is the popular steel Sky-Dweller ref. 326934 with a white gold fluted bezel and black dial.
Russell Westbrook
– Audemars Piguet
– Richard Mille
– Rolex
– Zenith
Widely regarded as one of the best all-around players in the NBA, league MVP and nine-time All-Star, Russell Westbrook recently joined the Washington Wizards. In addition to his basketball earnings and lucrative deal with the Nike Jordan brand, Russell Westbrook also owns a car dealership in Los Angeles – all of which has helped him become one of the highest-paid athletes in 2021 (No. 14 on Forbes’ list).
Russell Westbrook also clearly loves fashion and is often referred to as a style icon thanks to his striking closet. His designer look is almost always accompanied by a high-end timepiece on his arm, and he was even an ambassador for Zenith watches a few years ago. Some of the timepieces we’ve seen Russell Westbrook wear include the Richard Mille RM-011 Felipe Massa NTPT 10th Anniversary Edition with a bright blue strap and the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Double Balance Skeleton. however, Russell Westbrook ‘s Rolex watches tend to be on the classic side, as he often wears the yellow gold Day-Date President or the two-tone Journal models.
Chris Paul
– Audemars Piguet
– Breitling
– Cartier
– Patek Philippe
– Rolex
Former Rookie of the Year and 11-time NBA All-Star Chris Paul (affectionately known as CP3) recently joined the Phoenix Suns. With 15 NBA seasons of experience, veteran Chris Paul remains one of the top players in the league.
Chris Paul also admits to being a watch collector, declaring in a 2015 interview that he carries 12 luxury watches with him because “I never know where I’m going or what I’m going to wear.”
Some highlights of Chris Paul’s collection include a limited edition Breitling (number 3, which is Chris Paul’s number), a steel Cartier Drive on a leather strap and an all-steel Audemars Piguet Royal Oak. Chris Paul also wore some very special Patek Philippe watches such as the World Time 5130 and the Annual Calendar 5205. lastly, similar to many other NBA stars, Chris Paul wore the legendary Rolex Day-Date “President” gold watch.
Trae Young
– Cartier
– Hublot
– Rolex
– Tissot
Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young joined the rookie first team in 2019 and became an All-Star in 2020. The young player has become one of the stars of the league and is often compared to Steph Curry.
Trae Young said he grew up loving watches and often noticed that the NBA players he followed had watches on their wrists. He even cites Chris Paul’s style as an inspiration. Trae Young discovered his favorite watch style when he became a Tissot ambassador, and today, he has Hublot, Cartier and Rolex watches in his collection. Among Trey Young’s Rolex watches, in addition to the custom two-tone ice-colored logbook watch and the Rolex Day-Date Gold, a GMT-Master II “Coke” with a black and red bezel caught our eye.
Devin Booker
– Audemars Piguet
– Rolex
Devin Booker was just 18 years old when he joined the Phoenix Suns in 2015. Three years later, he signed a $158 million, five-year contract extension with the Suns – the most lucrative deal in the team’s history. Speaking of luxury timepieces, the two-time NBA All-Star can often be seen wearing Audemars Piguet and Rolex watches.
Some of the highlights we noticed include a rose gold Royal Oak 20th Anniversary Chronograph with a blue dial and a gold Rolex Daytona Chronograph with a black dial. Another Rolex in the Devin Booker collection is the popular steel Deatoner 116500LN with a black ceramic bezel and white dial.
Jordan Clarkson
– Audemars Piguet
– Louis Vuitton
– Rolex
Jordan Clarkson has developed well since being traded to the Utah Jazz in 2019, where he won the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award in 2021. He re-signed with the Utah Jazz in 2020 on a four-year, $52 million contract.
Off the court, Jordan Clarkson is also known for his fashion sense, often wearing fashion forward clothing. Watches are usually part of Jordan Clarkson’s outfit, and he has been spotted wearing an all-white Louis Vuitton Tambour Horizon Connection watch, an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, and, not surprisingly, because it seems to be the must-have luxury watch in the NBA, a Rolex Day-Date President.
Rolex is the favorite of the NBA
One of the brands that appear in these top NBA player watch collections is Rolex. This comes as no surprise to us given that Rolex is the best-selling luxury watch brand in the world. Furthermore, the Rolex name is associated with achievement and performance, and these elite athletes are certainly familiar with these characteristics.
However, intriguingly, these professional athletes don’t necessarily buy Rolex sports watches; the classic gold Day-Date President is the most popular choice in the NBA. Fun fact: A few years ago, John Wall gave away all of the Washington Wizards’ Rolex President watches as Christmas gifts. No doubt he knew that the NBA’s most popular luxury watch would be the ultimate gift for his teammates!
