How One Rolex Became The NBA’s De Facto Starter Watch

Originally published by Danny Milton on Hodinkee.

In December 2017, the Washington Wizards were eating breakfast in a hotel ballroom before a road game. John Wall, then the team's star point guard, entered the room with 15 green boxes in hand, each containing a Rolex Day-Date. He proceeded to give one to every member of the team as a holiday present – the ultimate leadership flex for a franchise player.

For many of his teammates, most of whom weren’t stars, it was their first truly nice watch. Which makes a certain sense, because the Day-Date has become the unofficial starter watch for many NBA players. It almost feels wrong to call the Day-Date a “starter,” but we're talking about the NBA, where Audemars Piguet, Hublot, and Richard Mille abound. In a world where players can wear just about anything they like, it’s worth noting that this particular watch is all over the league, on the arms of benchwarmers and All-Stars alike. With the NBA season underway, let's dig deeper into this seldom-discussed Rolex fascination.