There are several rules and regulations that govern what is and is not permitted in the NBA, both on and off the court. Regardless of their hairstyle preference, players are not prohibited from maintaining curly hairstyles in order to maintain their grace and fashion.
In order to express themselves, NBA players have used hairstyles and haircuts, like, some players choose to grow their hair, some have dreads, some players opted for bald heads & many others have their unique fashion.
In this article, we will check out the best NBA players with curly hair. The difference between curly hair and afros is that curly hair resembles a simple spiral or wave, whereas afros are developed by kinky hair, typically acquired through torsion twisting.
Are you looking for the complete opposite of curly hairstyles? We have reviewed the best bald NBA players of all time and the Best Bald NBA Players of the present!
List of NBA Players with Curly Hair:
1. Larry Bird
It is widely held that Larry Bird, nicknamed “the Hick from the French Lick” and “Larry Legend”, was one of the greatest basketball players of all time. After being heavily recruited, he originally enrolled at a local community college shortly after signing with the Indiana Hoosiers under Bobby Knight.
As a Sycamores player, Bird played for three years at Indiana State University. In the 1978 draft, the Boston Celtics selected him with the sixth pick. The following season, Bird entered the NBA after remaining with Indiana State University for one more year.
As a power forward, Larry Bird helped the Celtics improve by 32 wins over the previous season. Three NBA championships and five NBA finals appearances were part of his career with the Celtics.
The NBA Most Valuable Player Award was awarded three times consecutively to Larry Bird during his 12-year career as an NBA All-Star. The Dream Team, also known as the 1992 US Olympic men’s basketball team, was also a member of his team.
Read the interesting article about hairstyle of players: NBA Players with Long Hair
2. Jerry West
A former Los Angeles Lakers player, Jerry West is now an executive in the NBA. His silhouette was incorporated into the NBA logo, earning him the nickname Mr. Clutch. Mr. Clutch is also known as “the logo” for his ability to make big plays in crunch time.
His 12 All-NBA First and Second Teams, 14 NBA All-Star selections, and All-Star MVP award in 1972 are all attributed to his guard position. Additionally, Jerry West holds the record for the highest point rate in a playoff series with 46.3 points per contest, which is the highest average in NBA history.
3. Dirk Nowitzki
Currently, Dirk Nowitzki is a special advisor for the Dallas Mavericks after retiring as a professional basketball player. One of the greatest European basketball players of all time, Nowitzki is regarded as one of the best power forwards in league history.
His entire 21-year career was spent with the Dallas Mavericks, after being drafted by them as the ninth pick in 1998. During his tenure with the Mavericks, Nowitzki led the team to 15 NBA playoff appearances. In 2006 and 2011, he took the team to the NBA Finals.
4. John Havlicek
The Boston Celtics were the home of John Havlicek for the entire nine seasons of his NBA career, and he won four championships during his first four seasons with them.
Bill Russell and Sam Jones are the only NBA players who have won more championships in their playing careers than he has. The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inducted Havlicek in 1984 as one of the best basketball players of all time.
5. Bill Walton
Former professional basketball player Bill Walton is a television sportscaster. He won three consecutive national college player of the year awards while playing for coach John Wooden and the UCLA Bruins, leading them to NCAA titles in 1972 and 1973 and an impressive 88-game winning streak.
In 1977, Bill Walton won the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award with the Portland Trail Blazers after being selected as the first overall pick in the 1974 NBA draft. In 1993, he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame after winning his second NBA championship with the Boston Celtics in 1986.
6. Pete Maravich
In his professional basketball career, Pete Maravich was known as Pistol Pete. Maravich has scored 3,667 points for Louisiana State University with an average of 44.2 points per game while playing college basketball there. He was born in the Pittsburgh area and raised in the Carolinas.
During a pick-up basketball game at the age of 40, Maravich died unexpectedly from an undetected heart defect. He was one of the youngest inductees into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.