Anthony Davis, Saks Fifth Avenue celebrate their latest men’s fashion collection

“I really love L.A.,” Anthony Davis said, seated near the bar inside the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood on Thursday night. The New Orleans Pelicans forward, who’s in town for the NBA All-Star Game on Sunday, was on hand at the hotel to celebrate his latest fashion collection, Saks Fifth Avenue x Anthony Davis, during a dinner.

However, the basketball star couldn’t help but praise the city despite having defeated the Lakers 139-117 on the court the evening before in the Big Easy. “This city is amazing,” he told The Times about L.A. “The people are amazing. I actually stay here in the summertime. I love the weather. It’s, in my opinion, the best city in the United States. Over Miami, [over] everything, you know?”

The event

An intimate group of influencers gathered to toast Davis’ latest luxury streetwear capsule collection, which first launched in 2016, and is available exclusively at select Saks Fifth Avenue locations and on Saks.com. The collection’s latest offerings include a green waffle T-shirt for $98 and a black printed bomber jacket for $298.

“Every piece is unique,” Davis said. “Every time we put a collection out there, we want it to be unique and different from the last — and a little unique and different from what everybody else is doing. I’m excited about it.”

Louis DiGiacomo, Saks’ New York-based general merchandise manager for men’s, was unable to attend the dinner but said in a statement: “We are proud of how the Saks Fifth Avenue collection ― our private label offering ― has grown over the past few years, evolving into one of our top performing menswear brands at Saks. And, since 2016, we've been partnering with Anthony on the Saks Fifth Avenue x Anthony Davis capsule collections that have an athletic-inspired, youthful sensibility ... And our customers love it.”

The fashion

“As a guy who’s tall, it’s hard to find clothes,” laughed Davis, who is 6-foot-10. “I thought [this collaboration] was the perfect opportunity to try to showcase my style with a great brand like Saks.... It’s been great for me to get another side of me out there instead of basketball.”

Since joining the NBA in 2012, fashion has become “a huge part” of Davis’ life. “Anytime I go to big events, I like to make a statement,” he said. “I think it was my rookie year when I went to dinner with the USA [Olympic] Team, with Kobe [Bryant], LeBron [James], Kevin Durant and all these guys. They were all dressed up nice. Me? [I was] fresh out of college. We wore sweat suits all the time, and I had a sweat suit on. They kind of got on me. ‘You’re in the NBA now, man. You’ve got to start dressing nice.’ Ever since then, I’ve been like, ‘OK, I’ve got to take fashion a little bit more seriously.’”

And whose look does he admire? Davis said he’s a big fan of Russell Westbrook’s style off the court. “I always watch what Russell is wearing,” Davis said. “He’s one of my closest friends in the NBA. I love to see what he’s going to wear next. He has some stuff that he’s probably the [only] one who could pull off, but I love his style. He doesn’t dress like the normal person.”

The scene

After cocktails, tastemakers enjoyed a family-style dinner of prosciutto and burrata salads, wild salmon, steak frites and popcorn sundaes. Despite the party’s 8 p.m. start, Davis arrived two hours into the dinner — just as the main course was being served.

The All-Stars Game

Having played the Lakers in New Orleans the night before, Davis arrived in L.A. just a few hours before the event and said he didn’t have any set plans. “Of course, there’s a lot of stuff to do during All-Star Weekend,” said Davis, who is playing his fifth consecutive All-Star Game. “We’ll play it by ear, and just see how I feel, if I’m tired from all the events or if I have a little energy to go out. I play it by ear every time.”

As for Sunday’s game, Davis said, “I just want to go out there and have fun.” Asked if it’s a chance to let loose a bit more than during the season, Davis said, “I go out there and play like it’s a real game. It’s basketball. Every time I step on the floor, I want to play my hardest, but of course, they change it up a little bit to try to make it more competitive. I think this year is going to be very competitive.”

But All-Star Game or otherwise, fans should always keep an eye on Davis’ fashionable feet. “I’m a big-shoe guy,” he said. “On the court, I’m more of a color guy. I like to have all these weird, bright colors. … If we’re wearing white jerseys, I need bright red shoes or bright blue shoes, something like that. … I want my shoes to stand out.”