Dreadlocks, one of the best on court hairstyles one can possibly have. It is becoming and increasingly popular hair style for younger athletes among varies sports, especially in basketball and football.
Dreadlocks can be a disadvantage at times, with the hair possibly covering the players eyes, but this hairstyle is worn pridefully and is quite impressive. Dreadlocks are significantly more stylistic than playing bald or with long hair and is a completely unique way to express yourself on the court.
Dreadlocks in the NBA have sadly had some controversy but are widely accepted now in the NBA. Here are some of the most famous NBA players with Dreadlocks.
Ja Morant- Memphis Grizzlies
Morant was drafted second overall in the 2019 Draft and has quickly become the most famous basketball player currently playing with dreadlocks. He doesn’t just grow his dreads out; he styles and dyes them. He has been playing in the NBA for about three years now and has been great for Memphis.
In his rookie season he started 67 games and had a .776 free throw percentage. He has also been stellar for them in the playoffs, this past postseason he started nine games and had a .340 three-point percentage and averaged 37.6 points per game.
Markelle Fultz- Orlando Magic
This one kind of stings, I grew up 20 minutes outside of Philadelphia, so seeing Fultz go to the Magic after not working out here. Credit where credit is due, Fultz has some of the best twists in the NBA.
Fultz was drafted first overall by the Sixers in 2017, still hurts, in three seasons with the Sixers he only played 105 games. His best season was his last and was still kind of forgettable.
This past season with the Magic, Fultz had a field goal percentage of .474. The 2019-2020 season was his best season, where he averaged 27.7 minutes per game and a three percentage of .267.
Kenneth Faried- Nuggets, Nets, Rockets
Nicknamed “The Manimal” for is hustle on the court, Faried can grow some hair. He was drafted by the Nuggets 22nd overall in the 2011 NBA Draft and played in Mile High for about 6 years. After his time in Denver, he was moved to Brooklyn and then on to Houston.
If it wasn’t for the Nuggets signing Millsap, Faried might have had a longer stay in Denver. He took his talents overseas the past few seasons, taking his game to China, France, and Moscow, before returning to North America to play in the G League for the Grand Rapids Gold.
Robert Covington- Clippers, Trail Blazers, Rockets, Timberwolves, and 76ers
Ah yes, another former Sixer. Getting Butler in the trade that sent him to Minnesota was great, but I got so used to seeing Covington on the Sixers, I still miss him. Covington got his start in the NBA during the 2013 season after not getting drafted from Tennessee State. He played for the Rockets and the Rio Grande Valley Vipers in his first season before signing a five-year contract with the Sixers.
His best career season was during the 2017-2018 season, where he started 80 games and had a free throw percentage of .853 and averaged 31.7 points per game. Despite an almost decade long career, he has only made the NBA playoffs three times and is looking to build some success in Los Angeles this coming fall.
DeAndre Jordan- Nuggets, Clippers, Mavericks, Knicks Nets, Lakers, 76ers
When DeAndre started growing his hair out and then eventually turning them into dreadlocks, there was an ecstatic uproar on social media. He eventually curled it at one point for an intense look but is one of the most popular players in the NBA currently. DeAndre started in the NBA after going in the second round to the Los Angeles Clippers.
During his career thus far, he has made stops in Dallas, both teams in New York, the Lakers, 76ers, and is now currently signed with the Denver Nuggets. During 2022, he was waived by the Lakers and signed with his former Clippers coach, Doc Rivers. His best seasons thus far were with the Clippers, and is surely looking forward to a fresh start in Denver.
Jordan Hill- Knicks, Rockets, Lakers, Pacers, Timberwolves
Hill had one of the best heads of hair in the NBA during his brief but memorable time in the league. Hill was drafted 8th overall in the NBA Draft back in 2009 with the New York Knicks. He was then traded 25 games into his rookie season to the Rockets, before he was traded again two years later to the Lakers.
He would then sign for two solo seasons with the Pacers and Timberwolves, trying to keep his career going. He then played two seasons in the North American Premier Basketball league before apparently retiring. His best season was in 2014-2015 with the Lakers, when he had 26.78 minutes per game.
Allen Iverson- 76ers, Nuggets, Pistons, Grizzlies
Last but certainly not least, is Allen Iverson. Allen Iverson is the most popular player to play in the NBA with dreadlocks. Drafted by the Sixers first overall in the 1996 NBA Draft. He played for the Sixers for the better part of a decade before moving on to the Denver Nuggets via a trade.
He played for the Pistons and Grizzlies as well but is best known for his time as a Nugget and Sixer. Iverson also won two Gold Medals representing team USA and a Bronze at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games. Iverson was the league MVP in 2001 and was an 11-time NBA All-Star.
Despite all of the success, Iverson never won an NBA title. He did make a one season return to Philadelphia before going over to the Turkish Super League, playing only ten games before retiring. He was offered an opportunity to play in the NBA D-League, but decided to retire. His #3 was retired by the Sixers shortly after.
