In a league full of tattoos and closely-cropped hair, few NBA players have a truly distinctive look anymore. James Harden is different. The Houston Rockets star sometimes sports a mohawk with his full beard, allowing him to stand out from the crowd, on and off the court.

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Nerd fashion, best exemplified by Oklahoma City Thunder star Russell Westbrook during last year's playoffs, has become the latest NBA style trend. Some say it's a cheeky response by some players to the NBA dress code. Others say it's just plain odd.

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Draft night has become an interesting fashion show over the years as many young prospects bring creative duds to the stage with commissioner David Stern. Joakim Noah hammed it up with this outfit in 2007.

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Some NBA players enjoy dressing their best. Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade has lots of money, a stylist and an 800-square-foot closet. The result is a flashy but classy wardrobe that helped him land a spot on GQ magazine's cover in 2006.

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Tattoos on NBA players have become nearly ubiquitous over the last 20 years, but few have taken them to the extreme like Chris "Birdman" Andersen. The journeyman forward is covered neck to toe in brightly colored body art and was a fan favorite in Denver after serving a two-year suspension for a drug violation.

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Allen Iverson won four NBA scoring titles and the 2001 MVP award, but he was also enormously popular because of his urban keep-it-realness. Cornrows, tattoos, baggy jeans, t-shirts, do-rags and Timberland-style boots were staples of hip-hop culture but weren't as popular with NBA commissioner David Stern, who instituted a dress code in 2005 requiring players to wear business or conservative attire.

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Dennis Rodman made a spectacle of himself on the court with his dyed hair and outrageous antics, but there was plenty of basketball substance to go with the strange style. The best rebounder and defender of his era, Rodman won five titles from 1989-98 and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.

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NBA players began to wear longer, baggier shorts in the 1980s and '90s. Well, not all NBA players. John Stockton (left) stuck with the short shorts and finished his career as the league's all-time leader in assists and steals.

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The Showtime Lakers of the 1980s were a glamorous team of superstars ... except for Kurt Rambis. He looked more like an accountant than a power forward, but his scrappy play lent more substance to a team already chock-full of style. 

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If shaved heads weren't cool before Michael Jordan entered the NBA in 1984, well, they are now.

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Donald Earl Watts of the Seattle Supersonics was a fan favorite in the 1970s. Along with his ever-present headband and wristbands, he picked up the nickname "Slick" because of his shaved head, an unusual look at the time.

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Julius "Dr. J" Erving brought breathtaking athleticism along with a killer Afro to the NBA in the 1970s. He cut his hair and lost some of his vertical leap as he got older, but Erving was elegant all the way to the end.

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Pete Maravich, who played for the Hawks, Jazz and Celtics from 1970-80, was one of the greatest shooters, best ball-handlers and worst defenders in NBA history. He also wore the floppiest socks.

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Wilt Chamberlain lorded over the NBA for much of the 1960s. The four-time MVP didn't win as many championships as Bill Russell, but he did earn more style points.

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The 1960s and early '70s brought a little flavor to the NBA, especially in New York where Walt "Clyde" Frazier (pictured) and Earl "The Pearl" Monroe formed the coolest backcourt there's ever been.

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The early days of the NBA weren't known for fashion statements. The Minneapolis Lakers became NBA champions in 1949, apparently by cloning the same player 11 times.

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Andrew Bynum hasn't played a game for the Philadelphia 76ers yet because of knee problems, but he's drawn plenty of attention for his hair. His 1970s-style Afro reminds us how much NBA style and fashion have evolved over the years, for better or worse.