Life on the Road with Jarred Vanderbilt

Since he was young, the Los Angeles Lakers forward had a vision for how he wanted to style himself. Now he has the means to achieve it.

By: Ross Scarano
Photographed by: Morgan Maher

Twenty-six years old with more than six years in the NBA, Jarred Vanderbilt describes himself as an old-school kind of guy. His taste runs toward the vintage side of style, from cars to clothes to music. The Houston native just wrapped his third season with the Los Angeles Lakers, who lost in the first round of the playoffs to an upstart Minnesota Timberwolves team.

It’s been a dynamic season for Los Angeles, what with some of the biggest trade news all year, when Luka Dončić joined the team in February. “Playing with Luka has been dope,” Vanderbilt says. “He’s a great player who makes the game easier for everyone around him.”

During the regular season, SSENSE caught up with Vanderbilt about his hobbies, life on the road, and his fashion bona fides.

Ross Scarano

Jarred Vanderbilt

When you were growing up, what were your favorite brands?

K-Swiss. FUBU. Nike.

When did you start to develop your sense of style?

I always had the vision in my head of what I wanted to dress like, but I didn’t have the resources or the money to match that and back that up.

When you were younger, who were your style icons?

I was always a big fan of Michael Jackson. André 3000 was another big one. And from a sports perspective, A.I. and Deion Sanders.

What did you appreciate about Iverson?

His attitude on and off the court. He was wearing whatever he felt. He made shit cool. He made shit acceptable. At that time nobody was dressing like that. He brought our culture back to the public eye, from an athlete standpoint—I think that was dope.

Which designers do you like now?

Rick Owens. Louis Vuitton. Bottega. Maison Margiela. Acne Studios. Jil Sander. Those are some of the main ones I’m wearing right now.

How do you kill time between games when you’re on the road?

Sometimes I rest. Depending on the city, I might go shop or hit a nice restaurant. It depends on the time of year and the city.

What city has the most underrated food scene?

I don’t know if it’s underrated, but Houston. DC. Memphis is underrated to me, the hole-in-the-wall spots, not fine dining. Chicago is pretty good.

How long have you played saxophone for?

I actually learned to play over the summer. I was battling with injuries, so I had a lot of downtime at the house. I taught myself. You can learn pretty much anything on YouTube nowadays, so I went on YouTube and it took me about two big weeks to learn some base-level. I’m not going to say I’m a connoisseur, but I could play a little.

Did you play an instrument growing up? Had you been interested in music before?

I played drums growing up a little bit. I never played the sax growing up, but I always wanted to. I thought it was cool, but never had the time to really learn it.

Tell me about the car in your photos.

So that’s a 1972 Chevy Nova. It’s one of my favorite cars. I gifted it to myself for my birthday. I’m a big old-school guy in general, when it comes to cars, music, how I dress. I’ve always loved that model and I ended up getting it wrapped in one of my favorite colors, cherry red.

Car culture is big in Houston.

Texas in general. But Houston is big on old-school cars. Candy paint. That’s what I grew up around, seeing people in the city with candy paint old-schools, drop tops, hydraulics, elbows. That was a big reason why I ended up getting that car. I seen that specific color when I was a kid and it kind of just stuck and resonated with me.

What’s an elbow?

It’s a specific type of rim that pokes out like an elbow. It sticks out, so that’s what we call it. Little Texas lingo.

Who’s your favorite Houston rapper?

There’s so many. From back then, you got Scarface, Slim Thug, Paul Wall, Mike Jones, Bun B, Lil’ Flip, Trae tha Truth. In that era you had like five to ten guys that was holding the city down. Right now, you got Travis Scott and Don Toliver. It’s a different level of rap compared to old-school Houston culture, but I think those guys are doing their thing. And then looking to the females, you have Beyoncé, Meg Thee Stallion—they’ve done their fair share to hold the city down too.

What’s your coffee order?

Ooo, I do not drink coffee. Only time I did drink coffee was overseas. I had it in Paris—with the time change I couldn’t stay awake. I think it tasted a little better over there. That was my little coffee experience.

Do you do energy drinks?

Nah, I don’t drink none of that.

After you got drafted, what was your first big purchase?

I got a car. I got drafted to Denver and it was snowing when I got there, so I ended up getting a Range my first year in the league.

Do you still have it?

I do.

So you collect cars then?

For sure. I’m definitely getting into it. That one I wouldn’t say was a collectible, it just still runs good. It’s got some meaning to it.

Who’d you have in the beef, Kendrick or Drake?

[Laughs.] Man, I’m just a fan of music. Music won—that’s who I had.