The Best Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Hair Moments

Written By Bakes

Avid writer on Men's Hair, Grooming, and Lifestyle!

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5 NBA Seasons in and we have seen Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Hair styled in various different ways from his,

  • Box Braids
  • Cornrows
  • Semi Freeform Dreads
  • Afro Blow Out
  • Afro Fade

In real time were able to see each hair transition whether it be on or off the court and its clear his hair forms a large part of his identity.

Our editorial includes a gallery of the athletes current and previous hairstyles.

Here are the Best Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Hair Moments

Box Braids

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander braids can be seen in various different patterns and sizes both on and off the court.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Hair in braids

Box braids are both aesthetic and practical, which is why there a favourite amongst black athletes.

braids in the nba

In addition to this we also see him ensuring his temple fade remains in tact with a personal barber he visits on a frequent basis.

A line up, fade and beard shave is what adds the complimentary finish to the braids!

Cornrows

Shai can be seen alternating between the box braids and cornrows. Each has its benefits; however the cornrows are laid flat so there’s minimal interference during game time.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Hair in cornrows

Prior to 2001 we hadn’t seen a black athlete step onto the court with a protective hairstyle, that is until Allen Iverson chose to be daring. The game changed forever.

cornrows on athletes
Cornrows in the NBA
Cornrows in the NBA

Decades later and it’s the norm as we can see with the image above featuring James Harden whose hair is also in braids, a testament to how influential Allen Iverson rocking braids was during 2001.

Semi Freeform Dreads

Prior to his braided hairstyle we saw Shai have his hair in semi freeform dreads during the 2016 to 2017 NBA season.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Hair in dreads

For hair to be truly freeform there is no manipulation, hair is just left to matt together and left to do its own thing, however in this case Shai began his locks with the sponge method.

Again, keeping his line up intact with a fade on the side to ensure a complimentary finish.

Afro Blow Out

Agh, the afro blow, the moment we get to see his true length and density! Thank God for the blow dryer!

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander afro

For those of you with similar hairstyles you will know hair stylists will often blow dry your hair to ensure knots and tangles are removed to begin braiding.

Any afro blow out image of the athlete means hair braiding is about to take place!

Afro Fade

His temple fade haircut blends the hair and skin into one another gradually and the contrast ultimately drives attention towards his hair on top.

faded afro and twists

We sound like a broken record at this point however the image above proves our point, the temple fade and line up is what creates the complimentary finish.

Key Take Away: Maintenance

Shai’s hair type is 4C which is the tightest curl pattern of all hair types and that means it requires a lot of attention and care.

Whether it be box braids, cornrows or twists they all require a certain level of routine to ensure long term health. We advise you too,

  • Oil your scalp
  • Keep braids in for a maximum of 6 – 8 weeks.
  • Protect hair at night or doing any physical activity.
  • Moisturise your Hair.

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