Sports Illustrated has picked the top 50 most fashionable athletes. Victor Cruz, Russell Westbrook and Von Miller made the cut and nabbed their own SI covers. Come inside to take a peek at the covers and the party flicks….

Ballers love fashion! So, Sports Illustrated is giving them their shine.

The editors of Sports Illustrated teamed up with sports and fashion experts to select the world’s 50 most stylish athletes. And they gave a few of the fashionable athletes their own SI cover.

Coming in at the No. 1 spot, New York Giants baller Victor Cruz takes the crown as the most stylish baller this year. And it’s no surprise. When he’s not making plays on the gridiron, Victor is a regular at almost every Fashion Week event. He was recently tapped as an ambassador for New York Fashion Week: Men’s.

The wide receiver is upping his standing in the fashion industry as he models for fashion houses like Givenchy and sports apparel brand Nike. He also has the title “designer” under his belt as he has been working on his own clothing line and he recently released a collection with Denim Brand 3×1.

So what does fashion mean to Victor?

“Fashion is what you make of it,” said Victor. “If you’re comfortable in it and you own it, there’s no box you can put it in. That’s the beauty of fashion. Football gave me a platform to show the world how I dress. Even on the field, I make sure I’m always cleaned up, my jersey’s never un-tucked, my socks are always pulled up and my spikes always look well kept, neat and new. I make sure the way I look on the field is the same way I look off the field as well. I think my clothes show that I pay attention to detail, take time to get dressed and think about outfits well in advance, which is all very true. And there’s a little bit of pressure. You want to go out there and step it up to make sure you look as good as the Cam Newtons and Odell Beckhams of the world because they go out there and they have custom pieces every week. I haven’t been out there in a little bit, so this year I have to bring it.”

Victor is about this fashion life. Not mad.

Another known fashion head…

NBA superstar and fashion innovator Russell Westbrook is also really into fashion as well. The OKC Thunder baller has created several different collections with luxury brand retailer Barneys New York and he’s the creative force behind True Religion’s Spring 2015 campaign.

Not only that, Russell always takes risks showing off his fashion flair with his pre-and-post game outfits.

For his cover shot, the NBA guard rocks a cheetah print 3.1 Phillip Lim jacket, a John Elliott shirt, True Religion jeans (from his collection) and Bottega Veneta shoes.

“A lot of people may like to wear nice clothes, but some do not really understand where fashion comes from,” said Russell. “I took the time to do my research and learn about the fashion world before I was able to get in to it. I had the pleasure of sitting down with Anna Wintour and Andre Leon Talley to pick their brains about the origins of fashion and how it all began. Now, I have my own brand with Barney’s and True Religion. I’ve been able to create this space for myself as a designer while still playing basketball.”

Super Bowl MVP Von Miller is another baller who loves to play with his fashion selections. While he may refer to himself as a self-proclaimed nerd, he loves to dabble in fashion putting together different looks that reflect his personality. 

“Fashion is my individuality,” said Von. “With the Denver Broncos, we have the most stylish team in the NFL and I think I’m right up there with the leaders of the pack. But it just didn’t start over night. One guy started dressing really nice and then the next guy and it just kind of caught fire after that. My favorite accessory would be my glasses but I wouldn’t even call it an accessory because it’s something I need every day. When you think of Von you think of glasses and I took off with it and embraced the geek and the dork in me. Hats are huge in my wardrobe as well—cowboy hats, fur hats. I’m a Texan through and through. I’m a country boy. When I go to the city I see shiny new stuff and I get it. When I get to the country, I combine both of the styles and put the glasses on there and you’ve got Von Miller.”

To celebrate their new covers….

Celebs stepped out to party it up at Sports Illustrated’s Fashionable 50 NYC Event held at Vandal last night. Of course, Victor was in the building to celebrate being the top fashionable athlete in the game.

We see you Victor!

Von Miller, who’s currently competing on “Dancing With The Stars,” brought his dancing partner Whitney Carson along as his date.

Sports Illustrated model Chanel Iman hit the carpet to celebrate with the SI cover stars. She was one of the fashion experts to help select the world’s 50 most stylish athletes.

Actress/reality star Malika Haqq kept it extra sexy in a black cut-out jumpsuit. She’s gearing up to star on the new season of “Hollywood Divas.”

NFL Hall of Famer/daytime talk show host Michael Strahan put on a dapper display as he posed it up on the red carpet. He turned the red carpet into his own personal shoot. Gotta love it.

Sports Illustrated swimsuit model Damaris Lewis stuck a pose before heading inside.

Several other YBF celebs made the cut including Serena Williams, Dwyane Wade, Misty Copeland, Skylar Diggs, Laila Ali, Carmelo Anthony and many more. Peep the full list here.

Photos: Getty/SI