Just a couple of weeks ago, the NBA was in the news when they added a barbershop to the Orlando bubble for the restart. The barbershop looked eerily similar to the NBA 2K barbershop, where NBA 2K My Player characters go to change up their hair. The shop itself has two chairs and a bench, which isn’t quite enough for LeBron James to host his barbershop TV show… But it is enough for a barber to make a key difference.
the best look at the nba bubble barbershop ? pic.twitter.com/uvdvMfaMtV
— NBA Bubble Life (@NBABubbleLife) July 21, 2020
NBA hairstyles have always been a key part of understanding the player. Jordan shaved his head, the shift from “Frobe” to “Black Mamba,” Iverson’s cornrows, Ben Wallace’s afro, LeBron James’ fading hairline, James Harden’s beard, and Kawhi Leonard rocking the straight backs, are just a few examples. Many players become acutely tied to their image, and that image includes their hair. Thus, when some players came to the NBA Bubble with odd new haircuts, it raised some eyebrows. Perhaps no cut (or lack thereof) raised more eyebrows than Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics.
Jason Tatum’s hair got out of control during the pandemic. But worse? His game was clearly weighed down by the extra-long locks. On July 31st, Tatum and his long hair went out to play the Milwaukee Bucks and he scored… just 5 points on 18 shots. Tatum wasn’t in foul trouble, he wasn’t hurt, he wasn’t any rustier than anyone else… but something was off.
Boston’s second game was Sunday, August 2nd. What did Tatum decide to do on his day off?
Jayson Tatum got rid of the curls pic.twitter.com/rcHUeM4ot8
— NBA Central (@TheNBACentral) August 2, 2020
Tatum went to that little barbershop in the bubble and got a haircut. And can you guess what happened next?
On August 2nd, in his second game of the NBA Restart, Jayson Tatum scored 34 points on 22 shots to lift the Boston Celtics past the Portland Trail Blazers. But to go a step beyond the box score, Tatum looked fluid. He moved quicker and was more explosive in getting to his spots. Tatum played as if he’d had a weight removed from his shoulders… because he had a weight worth of hair cut from his head. And he knew it, too.
The Boston Celtics have NBA championship aspirations, and much of that depends on Jayson Tatum being an All-NBA caliber basketball player for the next few months. Clearly, if he plans to keep up, he’s going to need to be sure and visit the NBA Bubble Barbershop… Every two weeks, maybe even more often. And to keep that up, they may need to honor their real MVP: the barbershop.
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