The greatest basketball players differ from the rest by virtue of their physical characteristics, commitment, determination, and their ultimate desire to succeed. Is it possible that a lack of hair could also make you a superior player? In this article, I will list the best bald NBA players.
Most NBA players weren’t bald, but a few of the best ones were. So, let’s find out who were those players. Ranking of the most famous bald NBA players.
According to many cultures, gray hair symbolizes wisdom. The sporting world is dominated by bald men just as much as it is by their haired counterparts. Some of the greatest basketball players have had short or no hair during their careers, indicating this trend.
Why were those NBA basketball players successful? Let’s examine what made them successful.
Who are the best bald players in NBA history? Or Current bald NBA players
According to credible ranking publications and fan opinion polls. We have compiled a list of the 15 best bald NBA players of all time.
Due to the fact that, except for Jason Kidd, all of our players are black. This list may also be considered to be the best bald black NBA players. In view of this, a spoiler alert is in effect.
Let’s get right to it, without further ado.
List of 15 Best Bald Players of all time:
15. Antonie Walker
With Kentucky, he won the 1996 NCAA Championship. He spent seven years with one of the largest NBA teams. The Boston Celtics, and he won the 2006 NBA Championship with the Miami Heat. His entire career was spent with a hairless head.
14. Magic Johnson
We could not finish our list without this legendary player who is regarded by many as the best point guard of all time. Although he has a shaved head now and on many occasions during his playing career. It is important to note that he did go on with a full head of hair at various times during his career, hence his starting the list.
13. Ray Allen
As one of the greatest three-point shooters in NBA history, Ray Allen has played 18 seasons. Until Steph Curry broke his record in 2021, he held the record for most three-pointers made in a career. Also, he has won two NBA championships as a member of the Boston Celtics.
12. Lamar Odom
Khloe Kardashian’s relationship with him has somehow eclipsed his NBA career in recent years, as his life post-NBA has become famous.
In spite of what many people don’t know, Lamar was a pretty good player for the New York Knicks before he was terminated in 2014. With the Los Angeles Lakers, he won two championships while playing bald throughout his career.
11. Reggie Miller
Having played his entire career with the Indiana Pacers, he is generally considered the greatest Pacers player ever.
He was known for his high-precision three-point shooting, particularly against the archrival New York Knicks, as an NBA all-star.
It was for this reason that Reggie was known as Knick Killer. His entire career has been spent playing bald.
10. Vince Carter
With his leaping ability and slam dunks, Vince Carter enthralled crowds in the 2000s, earning him the nickname Half man, half amazing.
Aside from that, he is the only player in the history of the league who has played 22 seasons. He has also been a member of the NBA all-star team eight times. His baldness has been a permanent feature since he was drafted in 1998.
9. Gary Payton
As we move on to our next player, we will take a look at Gary Payton. A player who became known as the Glove during his 13-year career with the Seattle Supersonics because of his bald head and his defensive abilities.
Gary has also won a championship with the Miami Heat and has been a member of the NBA all-star team nine times.
8. Jason Kidd
Although Jason Kidd had a short-lived hairstyle at the beginning of his career, he eventually went bald and has remained that way ever since. In addition to being a career leader in assists and steals in the NBA, he is also renowned for his triple-doubles.
The current coach of the Dallas Mavericks and ten-time NBA all-star is also a 2011 NBA champion with his team.
7. Charles Barkley
One of the most dominant rebounders in the NBA, Nicknamed the Round mound of Rebounds, and known for his aggressiveness, he has become one of the league’s most dominant players.
Charles has been a key player in the NBA for many years, having been an eleven-time all-star, an NBA All-Star MVP in 1991, and the NBA All-Star MVP in 1993. He has always been bald since the start of his career in 1997.
6. Kevin Garnett
As one of the greatest players of the 2000s, Kevin Garnett was known as KG during his 21-season career. It was recognized that he was an intense player, a good defender, and versatile.
The Boston Celtics were led to their 2008 NBA championship by Garnett, who went straight from high school to the draft, skipping college basketball and heading straight for the 1995 draft. Aside from these accolades, he was also named the 2004 NBA MVP and the 2008 NBA Defensive Player of the Year.
5. Karl Malone
Even though he had long hair earlier in his career, from the mid-90s to the early 2000s, he was forced to shave because of premature baldness. During the early 2000s, he was ridiculed for his hair as a result of it being so thick.
While Karl or the Mailman did not have a distinctive hairstyle, he was one of the best power forwards in the history of the league. He not only has been a fourteen-time NBA all-star, but he has also been a two-time NBA leader.
4. Shaquille O’Neal
Because of his larger-than-life personality off the court, he is considered one of the best basketball players and centers in the NBA.
As a member of two NBA teams, he has been a four-time champion with the LA Lakers and the Miami Heat. He has also won three NBA finals MVP awards, and 2000 NBA MVP honors, and has been an all-star in the NBA fifteen times.
When Shaq came on the scene in the 1990s, he had hair, but soon started balding, resulting in him shaving his head. Many fans have ridiculed his hairline throughout the years, with the most recent incident coming in 2020 when he lost a bet and had to reveal his hairline.
3. Kareem Abdul Jabbar
Like two of our previous players on this list, he also wore the amethyst Afro back in the early 1980s. However, somewhere along the line, he started shedding hair, and as with two of our former players on this list, he had to embrace it permanently.
He was a legend on the court and remains so to this day. His accomplishments include six championships, two NBA finals MVPs, six NBA MVPs, and 19 NBA all-star appearances. Among the best players in history, he is widely recognized for his skills. A number of NBA historians rank him among the top three players in NBA history.
2. Kobe Bryant
In spite of the fact that he had hair for a short period of time during his career, those moments were clearly overshadowed by those when he was completely bald. His hairline started thinning when he started playing, and he embraced baldness fully.
No matter whether he was hairless or not, Kobe was an outstanding basketball player and is widely considered one of the greatest of all time. As a member of the LA Lakers for 20 years, he won five championships, twice won the NBA finals MVP award, was named the 2008 NBA MVP, and once led the scoring list.
Even though Kobe is no longer alive and his legacy lives on, Kobe’s hairline continues to be one of the most interesting topics of conversation among basketball fans.
1. Micheal Jordan
As far as bald NBA players are concerned, Michael Jordan is without a doubt the best. In order to determine which of the league’s players is the best, bald players or those with hair, it does not help if the league’s most famous franchise player is bald. In recent years, Jordan has become something of a cultural and fashion icon as a result of his bald appearance.
Since 1989, he has been known for his bald appearance due to his receding hairline. It is also known that he has turned down lucrative endorsement deals from haircare companies.
The greatness of Michael Jordan does not require an introduction. There is no doubt that he is considered one of the greatest players of all time by the NBA website, as well.
We have concluded our list of the best bald basketball players in NBA history and throughout history. Did our list miss out on any player you thought deserved to be included? What do you think makes him worthy of being featured? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.
