Ever panicked over what to wear to a basketball game? Taking a tip from courtside celebrity appearances is actually easier than you think. While the sidelines at the NBA have long been a place for cool streetwear debuts, these past few seasons stars have definitely upped the ante, with the floor appearing more and more like the front row at Fashion Week. This has become a spot for couples to launch their new relationships, à la Emily Ratajkowski and Pete Davidson; the latest fashion trends (Donald Glover was one of the first to rock MSCHF’s polarizing BWD shoe while enjoying a game); and standout outerwear – as impractical as Beyoncé’s crystal-studded patent jacket or Tinashe’s Annakiki cow-print coat may be.
Best friend duo Justine Skye and Hailey Bieber memorably constructed cute matching basketball game outfits, with Bieber in a spring/summer 2023 Coperni getup that consisted of a sleeveless pinstripe vest and low-slung heavyweight cargo pants. She and Skye both covered up with tough leather jackets and opted for their own taste in hoop earrings. From Adele’s glamorous leather Louis Vuitton look at the Los Angeles Lakers’ season opener to Chloë skintight patterned Osman jumpsuit at an Atlanta Hawks game, basketball game outfits have certainly been elevated to a new level.
Ahead, see some of our favorite courtside ensembles, and get inspiration for what you should wear to a basketball game.
– Additional reporting by Yerin Kim
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Cardi B and Offset's Basketball Game Outfits
If Cardi B was going for a theme at this Hawks game, it would be to wear the most coveted collaborations of the year. The rapper rocked a quilted Gucci x North Face puffer and Balenciaga x Croc boots – which Offset also wore – with a silver Chanel bag.
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Adele's Basketball Game Outfit
While watching the Lakers’ season opener with boyfriend Rich Paul, Adele wore a fabulous custom Altuzarra look consisting of a leather wrap-style blazer and matching pants, with a monogrammed Louis Vuitton coat draped over her shoulders.
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Beyoncé and JAY-Z's Basketball Game Outfits
We couldn’t look away from Beyoncé’s David Koma date-night dress and sparkling statement jacket at this Nets game.
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NBAE via Getty Images / Juan Ocampo
Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade's Basketball Game Outfits
While Union rocked distressed baggy denim coords over a black bralette, finished with brown Western boots, Wade went for color in a wavy pastel button-down shirt teamed with navy slacks and white sneakers at the 2023 WNBA All-Star game in Las Vegas.
NBAE via Getty Images / Nathaniel S. Butler
Pete Davidson and Emily Ratajkowski's Basketball Game Outfits
Davidson and Ratajkowski publicized their then-romance at the New York Knicks game in Nov. 2022, both opting for casual daywear. While Davidson chose a velvet sweat set from Sinclair Global and Asics sneakers, Ratajkowski made a puffer from The North Face seem like a great idea, teamed with denim, snakeskin knee-high boots, and a Dior Saddle bag.
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Adele's Basketball Game Outfit
Adele looked chic as ever in a floor-length patterned coat at the NBA Finals in July 2021.
Getty Images / Allen Berezovsky
Justine Skye and Hailey Bieber's Basketball Game Outfits
Best friends Justine Skye and Hailey Bieber rocked similar ensembles at a Lakers game, both choosing heavyweight denim, leather jackets, black shoulder bags (Bieber’s was Saint Laurent), and hoop earrings. While Skye kept it more casual in sneakers, Bieber sported Gia Borghini pointed-toe heeled boots that were a nod back to her tailored vest, part of a complete Coperni spring/summer 2023 set.
NBAE via Getty Images / Nathaniel S. Butler
Donald Glover's Basketball Game Outfit
Glover made headlines when he sat courtside at the Nets game, debuting MSCHF’s BWD shoe, an eye-catching sneaker in a polarizing silhouette. The actor and rapper teamed his kicks with denim, a graphic T-shirt with a pixelated image of a QR code, and a colorfully embroidered Hawaii hat.
Getty Images / Kevork Djansezian
Getty Images / Kevork Djansezian
Iris Apatow and Olivia Rodrigo's Basketball Game Outfits
Iris Apatow and Olivia Rodrigo showed off academia-inspired outfits at the Lakers game, with Apatow in a knit sweater dress, knee socks, and ballet flats, and Rodrigo in a sheer-paneled long-sleeved shirt, quirky graphic denim, and platform loafers.
Getty Images / Allen Berezovsky