Talking Suits And New York Cool With Knicks Great Walt 'Clyde' Frazier
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Believe it or not, there was a time when the Knicks were the best team in the NBA. The floor general in the 1970's was none other than Walt Frazier.
You may know him as "Clyde," a nickname he earned for his animated clothing style. At 71-years-old, the basketball legend is still "stylin' and profilin'."
For the past 45 years, Frazier has been the epitome of New York cool.
"It's like being a leader," he said of his inherent coolness Wednesday. "It's dominant, but situations will make you rise to the occasion."
Donning his famous cow pattern suit, CBS2's Steve Overmyer joined him in Midtown Manhattan for what could be the creation of his next sartorial masterpiece.
"Usually when I go to a place I ask them to show me something nobody would wear," he says.
Frazier says he spends hours in stores along the city's Garment District, touching fabrics and imagining unique color combinations.
"Sometimes I'll find something back in a corner that no one else wanted and I'm like 'That's what I was looking for.'," he says.
The former point guard needs about five yards of fabric to make a brand new suit -- some of which runs for about $100 a yard.
The experience can be like watching a predator in the wild, slowly approaching its next victim.
Frazier says he wasn't daring until he got to the Big Apple.
"I think now my taste is better, my creativity has gotten better over the years," he says.
According to the seven-time All Star, it was his famous "Clyde" hat that really made him stand out. His nickname was even derived from the hat that resembled the one Warren Beatty wore in the 1967 hit movie, "Bonnie and Clyde."
"You can see why today's players have stylists," he says. "This is time consuming to do this on your own. But it's a labor of love for me."
Frazier made his name in the 70's in New York, when his play on the court and style off the court made him a household name. He's now a broadcaster for the Knicks, attracting a new generation of fans.
He says after he finds a fabric that speaks to him he takes it to Mohan's, his trusted tailor. Even though he has hundreds of suits at his home, over a dozen more were waiting for his approval Wednesday.
"It's like we already have passion," Roma Ramchandani of Mohan's tells CBS2, "and finding someone who has just as much and even more is amazing."
"My reward is like today when we were walking on the street and people say 'Great suit!', 'Hey Clyde you look great!'," he says.
Frazier says "Clyde" is the alter-ego of his life in New York, but he loves the quiet life of tranquility as a boat captain in St. Croix, where he spends his off-season.
