The NBA restart is slowly falling into place. Over the course of this week, all 22 teams left in contention made their way to Orlando and slipped into The Bubble. That means that, along with snapshots of prepared meals and gaming equipment, the fit pics are back, with 100% more facemasks, and grail-level watch pairings. As NBA players file off the bus and into their respective Disney hotels this week, GQ spotted a super limited-edition Richard Mille, souped-up Royal Oak, and more than one iconic Rolex. The brick foyers of Disney hotels are a different sort of runway for players but it still feels good to be back: big NBA fits are the crack of thunder before the lightning of actual games.
Damian Lillard’s Rolex Datejust II
In 2009, Rolex tweaked one of its most classic models and introduced the Datejust II. The sequel kept up with modern trends towards considerably larger sizes: 41 millimeters compared to the original Datejust’s 36. The Rolex crown at the 12 o’clock position and the golden Roman numerals on Lillard’s model really have room to stretch out. But in 2016, the Datejust II went the way of New Coke and Rolex replacing the model with the Datejust 41 (a reference to the enlarged size).
Seth Curry’s Rolex GMT-Master II “Batman”
With big brother Steph out of contention, the younger Curry is tasked with taking up the mantle of never missing. He’s off to a good start here with the latest version of the Rolex GMT-Master II in the unmistakable blue-and-black “Batman” colorway. Released in 2019 on a Jubilee bracelet—rather than the traditional Oyster bracelet—the watch argues that it is possible to improve an icon. For the younger Curry, that’s probably an appealing idea.
