How ESPN's NBA guys measure up for style sake

Magic Johnson, Jon Barry, Michael Wilbon and Stuart Scott presented the breakdown after Game 1 of the Western Conference semis between the Los Angeles Lakers and Utah Jazz on Sunday.

There are couple of things to know about wardrobe selection that might explain why certain colors that are seen on TV aren't necessarily popular choices in conventional workplace wear.

First, a studio's backdrop is a factor when choosing what to wear. The last thing anyone in front of a camera wants is to blend in with the background.

Second, you might see three-button jackets being worn more often than two-button models because it's a cleaner look on camera when the top two buttons of the jacket are fastened. So don't follow the bandwagon that three-button models are not "in." Such trends are cyclical and should not sway your clothing decisions. What matters is that the look is simple and elegant.

Back to the ESPN crew on Sunday night:

-- Magic Johnson came out of the box strong with a peak-lapel, gray suit with a pinstripe pattern and a solid pink shirt. Mr. Johnson's tie, however, does not anchor the look. It is a red, white and light blue stripe that competes with the pattern of the suit and looks fuzzy altogether. I would suggest a solid charcoal or black tie, which give an understated elegance and does not steal the suit's thunder. Grade: B-

-- Jon Barry's solid tan suit evokes the season that is spring, and his deep red paisley tie is an excellent complement with his tattersall shirt. Well balanced and well coordinated. Grade: A

-- Michael Wilbon's light gray suit contrasts well with his pale yellow shirt. The brown tie with light blue and light brown polka dots looks great on TV, but does not pick up the color of the jacket or shirt. I'm not certain whether the pattern of the jacket is a glen plaid, which usually has light blue lines running vertically and horizontally throughout. It's not easy to see on TV. Grade: B

-- Stuart Scott's light gray suit matches up well with his light gray striped shirt, but the kelly green tie and multicolor pocket square dominate the suit. The knot on the tie is so big that it doesn't come up flush against the top of the collar, and the pocket square doesn't match anything else that he's wearing. Grade: C-

D-Wade chanels his 'inner lumberjack'

Dwyane Wade was feelin' it after scoring 46 points to help the Miami Heat avoid a sweep by the Boston Celtics. I hope the Heat can extend the series some more, because Mr. Wade is putting together some interesting looks after the game.

After talking to his "hot" hand during his scoring spree in Game 4 on Sunday in Miami, Mr. Wade answered questions from the media afterward. He was wearing a red plaid sport shirt and a solid black vest.

In my modest experience in working on television and film sets, one of the things that production people often advise is when appearing in front of cameras, avoid wearing white, red or black clothing. Whenever I see these colors on television, whites appear too bright (use eggshell or off-white instead), red comes across "flat" as a color (substitute deep red or maroon), and black makes an object appear two-dimensional instead of three (use navy).

So in person, Mr. Wade looks fine. On television, while the plaid he was wearing was the right shade of red, it needs to be a little darker to show up stronger on screen. The black vest helped balance the colors of the shirt, and Mr. Wade's presentation was much simpler than his postgame attire from previous playoff games. (See my previous posts.)

Bottom line: The "hardworking lumberjack" look works for me.

Craig Sager keeps you looking

I must admit, Craig Sager has (and does) a great job as sideline reporter on TNT. As skilled as he is in interviewing players and coaches in a tight time frame during games, he will probably be known more for his attire than for his journalistic skills.

That can be a blessing or a curse, depending on the outfit. So far during the 2010 NBA playoffs, I have seen him on TV wearing a salmon-colored jacket and matching flower for one playoff game and an electric-blue jacket, flower tie and pocket square during another playoff game. (The latter is his latest outfit from Saturday's Game 4 between the Phoenix Suns and Portland Trail Blazers.) One thing is for sure: Whatever information he gets from his interviews, Mr. Sager's clothing lingers in my short-term memory, long enough to wonder what he's going to wear next.

Now, for the sake of disclosure, I met Mr. Sager during the NBA playoffs three years at A. Taghi in Houston, when the Rockets were in the playoffs. He shook my hand and was really gracious while he was shopping for clothes.

So as I watch him working on television, is there a message that his clothing sends to the television audience? Is it loud? Proud? In your face (or maybe in the faces of his interviewees ... ask Kevin Garnett)? Or just minding his own business?

Well, Mr. Sager's style can work for the average Joe who's not on TV for a living, but in certain environments. The bright colors are great outdoors, especially on boardwalks on the beach if the material is cotton or linen. Indoors, casinos are a great place to sport colorful attire.

I must also admit that when I first saw Mr. Sager on television several years ago, I thought to myself, "I'm revising my will. I wouldn't be caught dead in a casket if someone dressed me that way." However, I was looking through a lens of dressing for a conventional workplace.

Through the lens of entertainment, which is a significant element of sports television, Mr. Sager recognizes clothing that gets your attention. Whether you think you can dress any better than he can misses the point. The question is, are you comfortable wearing clothing that you know will get you noticed? Can you pull it off?

Some memorable outfits come to mind, like Eddie Murphy's leather garb in his standup films "Delirious" and "Raw", and Michael Jackson's sequined white glove in his live performance of "Billie Jean."

I'm not sure I can wear clothing like that while walking down a typical street, but I respect the look for what it is. For Mr. Sager's part, I estimate that I could take one of his sportcoats and make it work for me.

Just one, though.

NBA postgame wear: Now you're talkin'

In my previous two posts, I made note of the attire of players during postgame interviews in need of improvement. I would now like to recognize those outfits that look the part of a seasoned pro.

Denver Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony comes through in a big way after a Game 3 loss at Utah on Friday. Mr. Anthony wears a suit and tie, with contrasting-collar shirt and pocket square. The wide stripe of the tie avoids competing with the stripe of the shirt.

Other tie options that would work well with Mr. Anthony's suit include either paisley or polka-dot patterns as a complement to the suit and shirt. As for the pocket square, it should match the color of the tie.

Mr. Anthony's teammate, Chauncey Billups, presents a casual look that's very cool. Notice the V-neck white tee contrasting with a form-fitting black jacket. Mr. Billups looks as if he's in control, very understated.

Utah's Carlos Boozer and Deron Williams display varying degrees of casual. Mr. Boozer goes open collar with his jacket and pocket square, while Mr. Williams goes with a striped cardigan. Both mendo not call attention to their appearances, yet both are clearly comfortable in their clothing.

Keep it up, fellas.

When NBA fashion misses the mark

The NBA playoffs are here, and the intensity of play ratchets up several notches during this time. And the non-jersey clothing worn at courtside gets noticed, too.

Usually, coaches and the media are sensibly attired in professional wear. Yet some glaring exceptions emerge from time to time.

Tuesday night was one such occasion. As I was preparing to go to bed after Game 2 of the Lakers-Thunder series on TNT (L.A. leads the series, 2-0, in case you're wondering), I saw some of the postgame highlights from some of the other playoff games. To wit:

TNT sideline reporter Craig Sager's salmon-colored sport jacket and tie. Yyyep, that'll get a couple of double-takes, par for the course for Mr. Sager.

The Miami Heat's Dwyane Wade sporting a pewter jacket with red trim and epaulets, with a red check shirt. Hmmm ... well, the colors coordinate, but epaulets? You kiddin' me?

Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant answering questions from the media while wearing a red check shirt -- with epaulets. What's with the epaulets? Mr. Durant looks like a lumberjack. The NBA's leading scorer can do better than this. He'd be better off wearing a stretch cotton designer T shirt. Keep it simple, man!

These were only a few notable fashion (miss) statements from the NBA world. And now, back to the games ...