With 5th Quarter, Denim Tears turns its lens to basketball’s deeper meaning in Black America, not just as a sport, but as a cultural force, a dream, and sometimes, an unspoken expectation. The collection looks past the final buzzer, asking what comes next, whether the path leads to the NBA or elsewhere.

This is a meditation on how basketball shapes identity, and how America’s relationship with the game mirrors its attitudes toward race. The collection pays tribute to figures like Rafer “Skip 2 My Lou” Alston and coach John Thompson Jr., men who left marks far beyond the court. Their legacies are woven into the fabric of the clothes, from the African Mudcloth patterns on hoodies and sweatpants to the Basketball Net Necklace and reimagined game towels.

The pieces feel familiar yet layered: Nylon Sweat Pullovers echo classic athletic wear, while graphic tees like the Skip to My Lou Tee spotlight the overlooked pioneers of the game. Even the accessories carry weight (a signature basketball, a necklace that turns netting into jewelry), each item a reminder of the sport’s emotional stakes.

Check it out below:

 

5th Quarter debuts at a pop-up in Paris (June 28-29) before arriving online and at Africa Diaspora Goods in New York.