Where Does The Tunnel Fit Go From Here?

Ariel Helwani is calling it—UFC has found its next superstar in Ilia Topuria, who KO’d Max Holloway in a brutal main event on Saturday. Being a great fighter will get you far, but being a great showman will make you a legend.

Jude Bellingham is one of Britain’s most eligible bachelors. We’d swipe right.

Jalen Brunson is a born leader and a total Belieber, saying the last song he listens to before taking the court is “any Justin Bieber song.”  As for former teammate Donte DiVencenzo’s recent departure to the Wolves—is it too late now to say sorry?

In the Wild West of the NIL era, Army and Navy are still playing by the old-school rules. As Louisa Thomas notes for the New Yorker, it’s worked out pretty well for them both so far this year. 

Meet the WAGs of the World Series. Behind many great baseball players, there is a woman that could strike him out on three pitches any time she wanted.

Spoiler alert: looks like he might do pretty well at the Mexico GP in his upcoming film “F1.”

2024 has truly been the year of the tunnel fit. While athletes have been making fashion statements with their stadium entrances for some time, between the WNBA’s breakout season and fashion weeks around the world embracing athletes like never before, we have reached peak tunnel fit.

It’s no longer simply a question of who should win MVP or Rookie of the Year. Debating which player deserves to be named to the tunnel fit all-stars is now an equally important contest. Athletes of all kinds—not just the big dawgs—work with stylists, brands and retailers to source looks from the world's most exclusive luxury labels and streetwear designers.

But insiders are beginning to question whether the novelty factor of the tunnel is beginning to wear off. Wizards star Kyle Kuzma made headlines on Friday when he announced that his flamboyant tunnel fit days were over. Kuzma was one of the standouts of the modern tunnel fit era, with his  jumbo-sized pink Raf Simons sweater one of the iconic fits that broke through to the fashion mainstream. 

Mitchell S. Jackson, who literally wrote the book on NBA fashion, says he believes we’re reaching an apex when it comes to the tunnel fit. “For me, the fact that the NBA is putting that kind of emphasis on NBA fashion means that we’re well into this being co-opted by mass media and capitalism,” he told Essence earlier this month.

While the modern iteration of the tunnel fit is a social media showcase first and foremost, the phenomenon can be traced back to the early aughts. As players began showing off more personal style in their pregame outfits, then-commissioner David Stern instituted a dress code as a way to repair the league's image after the infamous Malice in the Palace in 2004, severely limiting how players could express themselves.

Even with the dress code in place, players learned to use the restrictions as a piece of the art in and of itself, finding looks that could both make it through the standards of the dress code while also telling the story they wanted to tell.

As Jackson notes, the commodification of the modern tunnel fit effectively neutralizes the act of rebellion it once was. Still, players and leagues are only scratching the surface of how they can use fashion—from stars collaborating with high-end brands as Cameron Brink did with Balenciaga earlier this year, or using fashion as a channel for advocacy. The next chapter of the tunnel fit could be revolutionary, as long as there’s still a revolution to be had.  

Halloween came early for athletes who leaned all the way in over the weekend, and we couldn’t be happier. The content was very good—the sports world had quite the Halloweekend.

Then there were the players that showed out, with Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty starting the party by channeling Michael Myers earlier this month. Meanwhile, Myles Garrett grabbed early honors for scariest costume of the day with his portrayal of The Terminator. 

On the far other side of the spectrum, Giannis showed up to his post-game presser as Mr. Potatohead.

In the mascot division, Goldy Gopher of Minnesota went through more changes than Taylor Swift on the Eras Tour, with time spent as Deadpool, Chappell Roan, and Paul riding a sandworm from Dune.

We still have three days left of Halloween hijinks—who do you think will bring the best costume to the post-game podium?

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