The Sports Section: The Watches Of The 2024 NBA All-Stars

February 18, 2024

The old timers may say that they don't play defense anymore (and they may be somewhat right), but the talent level in the NBA, top to bottom, has never been higher than it is at present. And at the very top, the talent is downright ridiculous C so much so that the greatest shooter in the history of the game, Steph Curry, is coming off the bench in this year's All-Star Game. On top of that, the NBA watch game has arguably never been better. The overall interest in and appreciation for the timepieces we talk about every day seem to have grown amongst NBA players in the days since we sat down with the likes of J.J. Redick and Andre Iguodala. To demonstrate, we zoomed in on the wrists of 16 of this year's All-Stars (including a very recent Talking Watches guest) to see what they've been wearing over the past few years. Eastern Conference Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks: Breitling SuperOcean Automatic 44 Photo: Getty Images An NBA champion, two-time NBA MVP, eight-time All-Star C and Breitling ambassador C the "Greek Freak" is one of the most unique and dominant players in the game. Here he is at All-Star Weekend 2024, sporting the SuperOcean Automatic 44. During the Dunk Contest, it was hard to miss this one as Giannis donned Shaquille ONeals blazer just before Mac McClung leaped over him to take home his second straight victory. Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers: Rolex Day-Date Photo: Philadelphia 76ers Twitter Last year, then-teammate James Harden gifted Embiid this Rolex for winning the league's MVP award. While we know teammate Tobias Harris is the 76ers real watch guy, an engraved Day-Date from a teammate for winning the league's top individual award is something pretty special. Well be thinking about this iconic watch moment as we wish Embiid a speedy recovery. While we wont be seeing him take the court for the All-Star game tonight we hope to be watch spotting him in the playoffs. Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics: Richard Mille RM 010 Photo: Getty Images The four-time All-Star appears to have a growing Richard Mille collection; here he is wearing the RM 010 in titanium with an on-brand green strap. It'll be interesting to see which model he picks up after the Celtics win the 2023-24 NBA Championship (just a bit of attempted title manifestation from Will Holloway: Resident Celtics obsessive). Tyrese Haliburton, Indiana Pacers: Cartier Crash Photo: Getty Images No player's star has risen more this year than Tyrese Haliburton (with apologies to New York Knick Jalen Brunson). His game is unorthodox but very, very good, just like his Cartier Crash. In fact, this Crash has a bit of a back story that played out in a Mike Nouveau TikTok. He and Four + One alum Zo? Abelson personally delivered the watch to him after a home game in Indiana earlier this season. Clearly, hes loving his new watch.? Damian Lillard, Milwaukee Bucks: Tissot PRX Damian Lillard Special Edition Photo: Getty Images It's Dame Time. And these days, when eight-time NBA All-Star Damian Lillard checks the time, it's on the just released 40mm Tissot PRX Powermatic 80 Damian Lillard Special Edition. This brand new take on the PRX format features a dial texture made up of the number 0, his number, and a silhouette of Lillard in his Dame Time pose on the caseback. This watch collaboration from the official timekeeper of the NBA is about as fun as it gets, especially for hardcore fans of the game. Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers: Patek Philippe Nautilus Photo: Getty Images He may not be the first name that comes to mind when you think of NBA superstars, but we get the feeling that Mitchell's time is coming. His watch game is already there C here he is spotted wearing what looks to be a Patek Philippe Nautilus 5712 at the 2023 U.S. Open in New York City. Julius Randle, New York Knicks: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Music Edition Photo: Will Holloway When we filmed Talking Watches with Julius Randle last year, we came away thinking that Julius is really, really into two things: basketball and watches. He bought the AP Royal Oak Music Edition to celebrate last year's All-Star appearance. One wonders how he'll commemorate this year's selection. Trae Young, Atlanta Hawks: Rolex Day-Date Photo: Getty Images A three-time All-Star, "Ice Trae" is known for his unlimited shooting range and the depth of his interest in watches. Here he is sporting a gold Day-Date with a gold dial and what appear to be quite fitting diamond indices while arriving at a game in Toronto last year. Well keep our eyes peeled during his tunnel walk tonight. Western Conference LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers: Richard Mille RM 11-03 Photo: Getty Images People love making the LBJ/MJ comparison, but let's be real C these two have completely different games and played in completely different eras of the NBA. You can't do better than be the best of your time, right? Here, this generation's GOAT, and the NBA's all-time leading scorer, wears a Richard Mille RM 11-03 last December. But weve seen LeBron wear everything from RM to AP to even the simplest of Rolex OPs over the last couple of years. Kevin Durant, Phoenix Suns: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph Photo: Getty Images Somehow, some way, the 10th leading scorer in NBA history and two-time NBA Finals MVP is chronically underrated. Need a bucket in the final seconds of a crucial game? There's no better bet than KD. Do you know what's not underrated? The AP Royal Oak Chrono on his wrist. Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets: Rolex GMT-Master II 'Batman' Photo: Getty Images "The Joker" may not be the flashiest player the league has ever seen, but the two-time league MVP and reigning NBA Finals MVP is a joy to watch C his vision and unique skill set almost always produce positive results. The Joker. Batman. See what he is doing here? Luka Doncic: Dallas Mavericks: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chrono In Frosted White Gold Photo: Getty Images Luca is simply one of the best offensive players in the NBA. Just consider the fact that he put up 73 points in a game against the Hawks last month. Here he's wearing a special edition AP Royal Oak Chrono with a smoked blue dial that matches the colors of Doncic's Dallas Mavericks. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder: Rolex Day-Date Photo: @shai/Instagram In today's three-point-happy league, SGA's graceful mid-range game is a breath of fresh air. The two-time All-Star is smooth, and so is the Day-Date on his wrist. Even if this is the watch we see most often across the league, its never the wrong choice. Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns: Rolex GMT-Master II 'Pepsi' Photo: Getty Images When four-time All-Star Devin Booker gets going, he's pretty much unstoppable C as he was when he scored 62 against Indiana a few weeks back. Here he's pictured wearing a Rolex Pepsi GMT on a Jubilee bracelet after winning gold at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 'Dual Time' Photo: Getty Images A two-time NBA MVP and four-time NBA Champion, Steph is the greatest shooter the game has ever seen, period. He has made over 600 more three-pointers (and counting) than the next guy on the all-time list, Ray Allen. He's also good at Met Gala-ing, here he is seen wearing a Royal Oak "Dual Time" in 2021. Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph In Yellow Gold Photo: Getty Images He's an NBA champion and nine-time All-Star, but AD tends to get overshadowed by his aforementioned LA Laker teammate. As Julius Randle mentioned on Talking Watches, Davis does not get overshadowed when it comes to watch collecting. Here, he's wearing what appears to be a Royal Oak Chrono in yellow gold with a blue dial while sitting between LeBron and Russell Westbrook in 2022.