“Basketball is not the only thing we can do in life.”

In 2008, Brandon Jennings became the first U.S. player to skip college and play professionally in Europe. The decision brought challenges and opportunities. Going from high school stardom to a reserve role in Italy was a tough adjustment, but being in the fashion capital of the world sparked a new interest in creative avenues, putting fashion on his radar.

During the 2011 lockout, Jennings started a new chapter and interned at Under Armour. It became a creative outlet to learn and grow outside of basketball. Inspired by his experience, he later created his clothing brand, Tuff Crowd. 

“Getting the internship job during the lockout was huge for me,” he says, “because I’m the type of person that can’t sit down. So I need to find something. Being able to create and do different things. It just goes back to when I was in Italy; first time and saw fashion and fell in love with it. So everything’s been like a full circle.”