Jerami Grant pulled on a denim jacket over a black sweatshirt, which he paired with black joggers, white kicks and tall, white socks to finish off his outfit after the Nuggets’ game against the Nets last week.
It wasn’t your typical denim jacket, though. It had white paint all over, in the shape of raised fists, peace signs and different worded messages.
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“I made it myself,” Grant said after receiving a compliment on the piece.
Painting clothes has become more than just a hobby for Grant over the past several years. It’s now a way for him to relax and manage his stress while also unlocking the more creative side of his brain.
“I needed an outlet,” Grant said. “And I’ve always been a little artistic, so I do jackets and pants as well as just sketching and stuff.”
The 25-year-old’s sketching hobby is traced back to when he was in high school when his older brother, Jerian, taught him how to draw. At first, it didn’t click with Jerami. But over the past five years, it has become an increasingly important part of his life.
Whenever he has downtime, whether it’s in between practices or games or he finds himself with nothing do to, Grant pulls out his collection of acrylic paint, patches and pens and whatever canvas he can get his hands on.
Grant started working on clothes because he wanted a bigger canvas than the boards he was previously using. He estimates that he has created at least five jackets.
As for what Grant puts on those pieces, it strictly depends on what mindset he’s in when making them. Pulling from those different inspirations results in Grant using wildly different designs and color palettes.
“Whatever my motivation is at that time, that’s what I go to,” Grant said. “Where I am mentally navigates what I put on the canvas.”
Sources Grant can always rely on for inspiration are the different places he has traveled to visit. In 2018 he went to India, and this summer he visited Ethiopia (his favorite place), Egypt and South Africa.
The time in southern Ethiopia inspired Grant to paint a jacket with streaks of color all over it, something that is found in typical Ethiopian fashion. The colors Grant chose to use — red, blue, green and white — were his own spin on the tradition.
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“I love pulling from different cultures and interpreting them in my own way,” Grant said.
Grant’s pieces aren’t available for purchase right now, but he said that he would consider putting on a fashion show down the line.
“I might do more with this in the future, but right now, I’m just focused on basketball,” he said.
Fashion has become a hot topic in the NBA, with players using the entrance walkway as their runway.
Looking around at his new teammates, Grant points at Jamal Murray and Will Barton as the two Nuggets with the best fashion, besides himself.
“They got some good fits,” Grant said with a smile.
One player who has taken fashion in the league to the next level is Russell Westbrook, who Grant played with for three seasons in Oklahoma City before both were traded this offseason — Grant to the Nuggets and Westbrook to the Rockets.
“He’s himself, and it works,” Grant said. “He has a unique sense of style. People love it or hate it. I love it. I love anyone who’s themselves.”
Grant and the Nuggets will be facing off against Westbrook and the Rockets on Wednesday in one of Denver’s most difficult tests so far.
When both are on the floor together, Grant will be guarding James Harden, who is averaging 39.2 points per game.
“It’s definitely a task,” Grant said. “The coaching staff has a game plan and we’re going to see if it works. It if doesn’t we’ll make adjustments, but it’s definitely a tough task. … You have to play physical with him, send him to the right, and got to keep your hands out of there. He draws a lot of fouls.”
Grant says he has also been giving a little more insight to the Nuggets’ guards on how Westbrook tends to operate.
As for Grant, how he operates on the court has a direct correlation to his painting and fashion design. Whether it’s a jaw-dropping dunk or a punch of color on a jacket, a nice pass or single stroke of paint, or finding new ways to style looks or fitting in with his new team, the thought process goes hand-in-hand.
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“I look at basketball as an art, so whatever I do on the court, I try to make it as smooth as possible,” Grant said. “You want to try to be yourself with whatever you’re doing and put your own flair on it. I think that’s a translation between art with a paintbrush and art with a basketball.”
(Photo: Joe Murphy / NBAE via Getty Images)
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