The Met Gala, held annually on the first Monday in May in New York City, is a key event in the fashion and pop culture calendar, now attracting major athletes more than ever.
Last year (2024), prominent athletes like Stefon Diggs, Ben Simmons, Angel Reese, Lewis Hamilton, Venus Williams, and Nelly Korda, alongside former pros such as Dwyane Wade, Maria Sharapova, and Serena Williams, were among the attendees.
Athletes have attended since the early 2000s, but their presence and fashion impact have grown considerably. Compared to early, less formal appearances (such as Jason Sehorn`s 2003 look or Tom Brady`s 2006 debut), regular attendees like Serena Williams, Dwyane Wade, Odell Beckham Jr., Russell Westbrook, and Naomi Osaka are now frequently highlighted as best-dressed.
This growing presence has also resulted in athletes taking on more prominent roles.
In February, it was announced that a select group of athletes would be part of the committee for this year`s Met Gala, themed `Superfine: Tailoring Black Style`. LeBron James is an honorary chair, Hamilton is a co-chair, and Reese, Sha`Carri Richardson, Simone Biles and her husband, Jonathan Owens, are on the host committee.
As we look forward to the 2025 Met Gala, let`s take a look back at some of the most memorable outfits worn by sports stars throughout the years.
2024
Lewis Hamilton fully embraced the 2024 theme, “The Garden of Time,” with his all-black Burberry ensemble. He used his look to honor John Ystumllyn, one of the pioneering Black gardeners in the U.K. Close inspection reveals floral embellishments on his coat, and the poem `The Gardener` by Alex Wharton, inspired by Ystumllyn`s life, is stitched inside. Hamilton shared that his gold thorn necklace represented “the pain through that slavery trade time.”
NBA star Ben Simmons perfectly captured the essence of the “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion” theme for the 2024 Met Gala. Designed by Thom Browne, Simmons` attire included an oversized coat with a tartan pattern, accessorized with a clock briefcase.
Angel Reese made headlines for her distinct outfit and her packed schedule, attending the Met Gala right after training camp and before a preseason game the next day. The WNBA star looked chic in a custom sequined, seafoam green 16Arlington gown.
2023
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is renowned for his bold style on and off the court. For the “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty” theme in 2023, he wore a Thom Browne outfit layering a matching cardigan set over a tuxedo shirt and pants, finished with a classic black bow tie. Gilgeous-Alexander told GQ about perfecting the look: “You just want to get it right… It`s not like I haven`t thought that much about an outfit [in the past].”
Dwyane Wade has attended the Met Gala many times with his actress wife, Gabrielle Union, but his 2023 look was particularly well-received. The three-time NBA champion wore an all-black Prada outfit, completed with jewelry from Tiffany & Co. He remarked to GQ that his look felt “giving a little Django.”
The 2023 Met Gala was a significant event for WNBA star Brittney Griner, taking place just months after her release from a Russian prison in December 2022. Griner celebrated the night in a custom all-Calvin Klein look. Her monochromatic beige outfit featured a sheer top beneath a coat and pant set.
2022
Chloe Kim made a strong impression at her 2022 Met Gala debut. The three-time gold medalist snowboarder looked stunning in a white Giambattista Valli Couture ball gown accented with red feathers. Kim commented on the gown to ExtraTV at the event: “I just wanted to do a beautiful, big ball gown, and [Valli] is king of the ball gown, so I just had to and I was so excited when I saw this dress.”
Caroline Wozniacki and David Lee attended the 2022 Met Gala together. Tennis star Wozniacki wore a bold, blue cutout Christian Siriano dress featuring puffy baby blue sleeves. Meanwhile, retired NBA All-Star Lee accompanied his wife in a classic black tuxedo.
2021
Naomi Osaka paid beautiful tribute to her Haitian and Japanese heritage with this look. She collaborated with designer Nicolas Ghesquière and her sister and designer Mari Osaka to create the custom Louis Vuitton gown. Her dress showcased a purple, blue, silver, and pink pattern with a red belt and a ruffled black cape. Hairstylist Marty Harper noted in a news release that Osaka`s hairstyle drew inspiration from “Haitian school girl style and Onna-Musha warriors of Japan.”
Serena Williams is known for taking fashion risks at the Met Gala. At the 2021 event, she wore a Gucci silver lace bodysuit paired with an ombre feather cape. The retired tennis star told E! News that her look was “superhero-inspired.”
The 2021 Met Gala was iconic, producing many memorable looks, and Simone Biles` was among the best. This 88-pound, three-piece set was designed by Beckett Fogg and Piotrek Panszczyk, inspired by showgirl Josephine Baker. The seven-time gold medalist`s dress was hand-embellished with Swarovski crystals.
It`s challenging to select Russell Westbrook`s single most iconic Met Gala look. However, his 2021 appearance deserves recognition for the extra step of dyeing his hair for the event. Westbrook wore a navy blue Ralph Lauren tuxedo, finishing the look with white stars dyed into his blue hair.
2019
Odell Beckham Jr.`s Met Gala style is constantly evolving, but none of his outfits have been bolder than his 2019 look. Following the year`s theme, “Camp: Notes on Fashion,” he wore a Thom Browne sleeveless tuxedo jacket paired with a kilt. He shared his initial reaction to the kilt: “I told them no off the rip… On the way here I was like, `Can you make sure they bring it just in case? I might just do it just to do it.`”
2018
Tom Brady is a familiar face at the Met Gala, having attended more than a dozen times since 2006. While the seven-time Super Bowl champion has showcased many great looks, his 2018 outfit was arguably his most discussed. Brady`s look adhered to the “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination” theme. He wore a custom Versace black suit jacket featuring distinct gold trim to complement his then-wife Gisele Bündchen`s dress. Brady revealed at the event that Bündchen had selected his coordinating outfit and presented it to him only during the car ride there.
Shaun White first attended the Met Gala in 2014 in a traditional black tuxedo. For the 2018 event, White decided to go bold. The three-time Olympic gold medalist snowboarder impressed with an embroidered green and gold jacket by Etro, paired with matching green pants.
2016
Maria Sharapova made a statement in this red cutout dress. The retired tennis star collaborated with Colombian designer Juan Carlos Obando on her look. She also paired the dress with a bold, gold earring to align with the theme of “Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology.” Sharapova told Vogue, “I love the feel of a simple, beautiful, altered slip dress, and this felt like a new take on a classic… We wanted it to be more vibrant, and [Obando`s] red palette really popped.”
2014
Styled by Ralph Lauren, David Beckham wore a dinner blazer paired with black pants and a matching bow tie. This look garnered significant attention for how perfectly it coordinated with his wife Victoria Beckham`s cream dress.
Marcus Bellamy