Russell Westbrook and I used to argue about fashion. Our feud ranks somewhere between Yves Saint Laurent versus Tom Ford and Dwayne Johnson versus shirts with sleeves on the big Fashion Feud Intense-O-Meter. That is to say, it was not serious.

However, here’s what happened: I chimed in around six years ago, when a stylist who works with NBA players said on Instagram that one of her clients was being imitated by other players. The post was absurd. (Among other things, she claimed credit for pink pants.) But she was a friend, and as friends do, I poked fun of her. Russell saw my remark and assumed I was making fun of him for some reason. In other words, there was a miscommunication.

We buried the hatchet after years of back-and-forth with publicists and agents, as well as countless awkward encounters at Fashion Week gatherings. I questioned him about it in December, before James Harden met us in Houston’s most bland hotel banquet hall, and Russ went postgame interview mode on me. “You’re passionate about something, I’m passionate about something,” he remarked. “That’s fashion.” So, if you enjoy it, you’ll have a strong point of view, just as I will have a strong point of view.”

Russell Westbrook’s indiscriminate intensity explains why he should be adored, safeguarded, and applauded by every true sports fan. (He’s not. (We’ll get to that eventually.) Russ’s play is similar to that of a child who has just discovered his superpowers. It’s as if a radioactive spider bit him a few hours ago, and he still can’t fully control the new muscles, but holy shit—did you just witness that backflip?! Last summer, in the most hilarious free agency shuffle since Chappelle’s Show’s Racial Draft, the superhero re-joined forces with probably the greatest scorer in NBA history. (As I write this, James Harden is averaging nearly 40 points per game.

Part of the reason for the skepticism is that as NBA players have more freedom to select where they play, more superteams will fail. The loaded ’18-’19 Warriors, for example, were defeated by the Raptors. Another thing that has sports publications and barbershops throughout America buzzing is how unconventional both players are, particularly James Harden. They discussed whether his step-back was a journey a few seasons ago. It’s now just another move that players are putting into their games. Can a team win a championship with a point guard as volatile as Russ and a shooting guard who averages 700 dribbles a game? We won’t know the answer until the playoffs, as they juggle third and sixth place in the Western Conference.

But Russell Westbrook and James Harden, who have known each other since they were kids playing AAU basketball in Los Angeles, couldn’t be happier. Concerning everything. The unapologetic fashion choices are at the top of that list: madras robes, safety vests, damaged shirts that reveal under-cleavage…and that’s just Russell, who was among the first players to make tunnel walks popular. James Harden has quickly established himself as one of the most daringly fashionable athletes of all time, one snakeskin two-piece at a time. When I asked if they’d ever regretted an outfit they’d worn, they competed to see who could reply no the fastest. The Houston Rockets’ current sartorial extravaganza is almost as entertaining as watching them play.