'My bro' - Emerging fashion icons Vinicius Junior & NBA star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander meet up in Madrid after Champions League semi-final

• SGA attended Real Madrid vs Man City
• Met up with Vinicius Junior afterward
• Both athletes interested in fashion

WHAT HAPPENED? The pair are legitimately close friends. In January, Vinicius gifted Gilgeous-Alexander a match-worn kit he signed with the personal message: "For Shai Gilgeous you are the future. I love your style!"

Gilgeous-Alexander, an All-Star player for the NBA's Oklahoma City Thunder, attended Tuesday's Champions League semi-final first leg between Real Madrid and Manchester City to support his pal, and the duo met up in the Spanish capital afterwards.

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AND WHAT'S MORE: Vinicius, 22, and Gilgeous-Alexander, 24, have much in common, both considered generational talents in their respective sports who are lauded for their fluid styles of play. But perhaps their greatest connection is fashion. Gilgeous-Alexander recently earned global acclaim for his look at the Met Gala and was named GQ's most stylish man of 2022. Vinicius Junior, an avid basketball fan, is also involved in fashion projects and recently took a big risk by publicly shunning Nike.

"My bro," wrote Vinicius on Twitter alongside a picture taken with Gilgeous-Alexander.

Instagram

THE BIGGER PICTURE: In the post-match picture of Gilgeous-Alexander and Vinicius laughing with one another, SGA appears to be wearing a Real Madrid kit under his leather jacket. There is a strong cultural crossover between their respective sports, and the mutual admiration between this pair seems particularly genuine. After all, the experience of being a top-level athlete trying to succeed in other industries is unique, and one would imagine it's refreshing for them to find other likeminded individuals.

WHAT'S NEXT? Gilgeous-Alexander is at the start of his offseason, so he'll have plenty of time to watch as Real Madrid try to defeat Manchester City in the second leg of the semi-final next week. They are currently level 1-1 on aggregate.

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