J.R. Smith, a seven year veteran in the NBA, was signed by the New York Knicks in the past week to put another scoring option into the mix with Jeremy Lin, Amar'e Stoudemire, and Carmelo Anthony. Smith signed with the Zhejiang Golden Bulls of the Chinese Basketball Association during the NBA lockout and failed to put an opt-out clause in his contract, which meant that he would have to play for the entire Chinese season before he could come back to the United States and the NBA. J.R. Smith was an All-Star in the CBA, with his best performance coming against the Qingdao DoubleStar, in which he scored 60 points in a Zhejiang victory.
Smith is back playing basketball in the Western Hemisphere and ironically, is playing with one of China's favorite players in Lin. In his return, J.R. Smith received a lot of attention from both his 15-point performance and ridiculous haricut.
Smith's new hairdo prompted me to think of some of the other unusual and unique haircuts in professional sports.
- Troy Polamalu--Pittsburgh Steelers Safety
Polamalu has one of the most reocognizable and
marketable hair styles in all of professional sports. He's not too shabby of a defensive back either with over six-hundred career tackles, seven Pro Bowl selections, five All-Pro selections, and two Super Bowl rings to weigh down his fingers. He only lets his hair out for NFL games and yes, he has been
tackled by his hair before.
- Tim Tebow--Denver Broncos Quarterback
This catastrophe took rookie hazing to a whole new level. Take a former Heisman Trophy winner, National Champion, first round draft pick, and one of the most beloved sports figures of modern times and turn him into a monk, which is very fitting when you consider his religious beliefs. Tebow accepted his fate and set the new standard for rookie hazing.
- Julius Erving--Virginia Squires/New York Nets/Philadelphia 76'ers Shooting Guard
Dr. J was one of the few players to be a star in both the ABA and NBA. He sported an inconic 'fro and was an innovative dunker, as he was one of the first players to attempt dunks from the free throw line.
- Brandon Jennings--Milwaukee Bucks Point Guard
A former McDonald's All-American, Brandon Jennings was the first American player to play in the NBA without going to college since the league enforced its new policy. Instead of playing at the University of Southern California or the University of Arizona, Jennings headed to Italy to play for Lottomatica Roma. After one season overseas, Brandon Jennings came back to the United States and was drafted by the Bucks. His hair style has changed frequently in his short career and each one is completely different from its predecessor.
- Chris "Birdman" Andersen--Denver Nuggets Forward
Not only does the "Birdman" have one of the most unique haircuts in sports, he has one of the most unusual overall appearances as well. Andersen was undrafted out of Blinn College, but was able to build enough of a reputation overseas to make it to the NBA D-Leauge. He started with the Nuggets, jumped from team to team and ended up back in Denver. Andersen has dealt with substance abuse, but has overcome them to remain in the NBA.
- Latrell Sprewell--Minnesota Timberwolves Shooting Guard
While Sprewell is best known for choking his coach P.J. Carlesimo and various other altercations with teammates, he did have one of the most embarassing haircuts for a professional athlete. Latrell Sprewell was an excellent scorer, but his hairdo was not intimidating anyone.
- Dennis Rodman--Chicago Bulls Forward
Dennis Rodman was a key contributor for the Chicago Bulls during their NBA Championships in the 90's and was one of the best defenders in the league at the time, as well as an all-time great rebounder. He had serious mood swings and his hair often portrayed his emotions at the time.
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