My first luxury: Jerami Grant’s Rolex Sky-Dweller

Shopping for designer goods is about more than beauty, workmanship and cost. It’s an emotional experience that often comes with a personal story. In this series, people recall a singular piece and a moment in their journey into luxury.

Portland Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant, 31, recalls how his definition of luxury shifted, his love for watches, and his last meaningful purchase.

Our conversation has been lightly edited and condensed.

I would describe my style as unique and eclectic. The core has always been there, in terms of being a bit different, but it has definitely evolved through experience. The more I experience in life, the more my style evolves because I pick up based on where I’ve been and even the books I read.

I just read The Soul of Rumi by Rumi. He’s an Islamic poet from Persia in the 13th century. (The book) resonates in terms of being free, being yourself, and always moving with a sense of reverence or respect.

A big turning point was when I got to the league and played with Russell Westbrook (2016-2019 in Oklahoma City). He was free, like I never really saw anybody I respected, at least, wear whatever they want — literally anything they want. So, seeing that and knowing it was OK to be whoever you are and express yourself this way definitely opened my eyes a little bit.

I love watches. Not just when I was younger, I mean, still now to this day. I had a fascination with the gears. Growing up, I would get G-Shocks. When I got money, the first watch I bought was stupid, but I really liked the second one — a Rolex Sky-Dweller in white gold, plain Jane. I still have it to this day. It’s always about the craftsmanship of the watch. I had a phase in my life where I was taking them apart and putting them together. I haven’t done it since my first year in the NBA (2014-2015 with Philadelphia) because I don’t want to do it with expensive watches.

Before you get the money, you think: My dream car was like a Rolls-Royce, right? It was like, ‘Oh, I really want a Rolls-Royce. If I ever get enough money, I’ll buy one.’ I’m not saying it’s a bad thing or anything, but once you get the money, it’s not as important as I once thought it was.

It’s a cycle of wanting what you don’t think you can get or achieve, and once you’re there, at least for me, it gets to the point where it doesn’t really make sense. It wasn’t as high on my list as I thought; it’s just a shift in what you find valuable. I definitely still spend money in ways I shouldn’t, but the things I value have shifted.

My mom reminded me that I was starting a clothing brand in high school called Options. That’s a play on Hour Generation, my foundation. But Options was the symbol I drew up, and it was the compass, the same thing as Hour Generation Foundation’s logo now.

It started with a turkey drop on Thanksgiving. That was just an entry point for me to figure out how to give back. It’s grown from there. Now, we have mentorship programs, an aviation program, and a farm where we grow produce and teach the kids how to grow on their own. Obviously, we give back the products that we have. I love seeing the families’ faces and how we change lives.

The meaning behind the compass is that you have options in life: You can choose whichever way to go. I would throw it on clothes and T-shirts, nothing spectacular. That idea grew into the Hour Generation Foundation, with the compass and the idea that you have options in life. I still design something almost every day. I cut and sew. I’m into clothes, heavy. I would design my own watch for sure. My fiancé and I made rings the other day, so that was cool.

Charity is something my mom taught me when I was younger. We went to soup kitchens and gave back whenever we could, even when we didn’t have much. It was a no-brainer for me. You’ve been blessed; you share. You share what you get. You share what you’ve been given.

The last meaningful purchase I made was this film camera about a year ago. I bought it right after my first daughter was born. It’s extremely meaningful to me because my mom used to take a bunch of pictures of us growing up, and she still does to this day.

I went home a few weeks ago when we played in D.C., and I could see all the pictures and things that she kept from us when we were younger. I’ve been taking a decent amount of pictures of my two newborn daughters. It really allows me to capture those moments in time, right? They’ll really appreciate it when they get older, and my fiancé and I will appreciate it.