SPORTING AND STYLISH

4 Houston sports celebrities strut onto world's most fashionable list

Steven Devadanam
Jul 29, 2019, 10:02 am
Photo courtesy of the MFAH

This article originally appeared on CultureMap.

Some of the world's hottest professional athletes have two things in common: they're uber-fashionable and they're Houstonians.

When they're not topping scoring titles or best-of lists, Houston-based stars James Harden, Russell Westbrook, P.J. Tucker (all three Houston Rockets), and Deandre Hopkins (Houston Texans) are frequently mentioned among pop culture's most stylish. Now, the flashy quartet has landed on Sports Illustrated's coveted Fashionable 50.

Featured in the July 29-August 5, 2019 issue of Sports Illustrated, the Fashionable 50 list was selected by a panel of stylists, fashion editors and executives, and other influencers across the sports and fashion industries.

The issue breaks down the field into categories, including "Icons," "Street Style Stars," and "Trendsetters." The Houston four fall evenly into those categories, starting with two Rockets stars as "Icons."

Russell Westbrook: Icon

Houston's newest Rocket is well known as a fashion plate. "It's hard to predict what the NBA's style trailblazer and self-proclaimed Fashion King will wear next, but that surprise factor and fearlessness are exactly what make Russell Westbrook a style icon," says the publication. Westbrook's pre-and-post-game attire gets a nod, as does his presence in the streets of Paris during Fashion Week and his "Why not?" approach to dressing.

James Harden: Icon

One of the NBA's most prolific players and scoring champs has an equally splashy fashion game. Sports Illustrated notes that for the 2018-19 season, the Rockets guard carefully planned his daring and dashing ensembles, pairing his signature beard with everything from bright floral prints to neon suits and more. His May 2018 cover shot for GQ is one for the books.

DeAndre Hopkins: Trendsetter

Sports Illustrated claims that the Houston Texans star wide receiver "may look to Pharrell for some fashion inspiration (okay...)," but the Texans wide receiver "has a unique, enviable style all to his own." The man with arguably the best hands in the National Football League gets props for his mixing of "luxurious and intricate designer pieces with more casual options from retailers like ASOS with ease."

Continue on CultureMap to see who else made the list.

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Astros rough offseason continues

Cole's deal with Yankees changes the AL landscape

Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images

In what came as a surprise to no one, former Astro Gerrit Cole is now a New York Yankee. Cole signed a record nine-year, $324 million deal with the Yankees.

While the Astros were never in the running to re-sign Cole, his signing with New York comes as a double whammy. The Yankees were only four wins behind the Astros during the regular season and pushed them to six games in the ALCS. Poaching Cole, who was 20-5 with a 2.50 ERA and 326 strikeouts, easily flip flops the two teams. The Astros have no one to replace Cole's production, no matter what they do. The Yankees just added a legitimate ace, and stamped themselves as the new favorites in the AL.

For the Astros, it was an expected blow, and just the latest in what has been a rough off-season filled with scandal and now rumors that Carlos Correa may be on the block.

What's next for Astros?

Part of the price of success is your players have to get paid. Alex Bregman and Jose Altuve are locked down, but Correa and George Springer are due for big deals, and the Astros have expressed a desire to keep the payroll under control. That is not good news for the 2020 Astros and beyond.

The Astros have an easy solution for Correa; moving Alex Bregman to short and Yuli Gurriel to third, and look for a cheaper option at first base. Correa's injury history has limited his production, so that's a loss they could stomach.

The losses mount

But there is no ready solution for Cole. Lance McCullers is expected back, and Jose Urquidy will get likely get a chance. They will also look for a bargain basement, Wade Miley type. But in general, the Astros - with or without Correa - will not be as good next season. While they will still be title contenders and there is plenty of time to fill some holes (they did, after all, trade for Cole two seasons ago), they won't be the favorites in the AL.

That honor now belongs to the Yankees.

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