Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard is one of the most recognizable faces of the modern-day NBA landscape. While the same can be credited to the 13 years that the player has given to his career as a professional player, another factor that distinguishes him from the others is his long braids. However, on more than a few occasions, Leonard has chosen to let go of his iconic hairstyle and opt for something different. As a result, his new look is once again making headlines.

Basketball Forever’s official Instagram account highlighted Kawhi Leonard’s new look during one of his outings. Being all smiles for the camera, the NBA star seemed like a completely different person with short hair that barely even reached the top of his neck from the back. With a broad forehead, any trace that braids used to once possess the top of his head has been removed completely.

As mentioned above, this isn’t the first that the 32-year-old has chosen to part with his iconic look. After a 16-year period, Kawhi Leonard first cut his braids in 2017, as seen in a picture shared by Chinese basketball player Xuewen Cheng. This news would certainly come off as a disappointing one for Paul George. According to a journalist from ‘The Athletic’, he approached the Clippers small forward in 2021 and asked who was planning on keeping their braids longer: him or Reggie Jackson. To this, PG replied that he is just trying to catch up till Kawhi Leonard’s level. Now, who will stand as a threshold for George and other long hair aspirants?

If history is any indication, however, it is that the player will sooner or later return to his classic cornrow look. Therefore, fans may better enjoy this sight for as long as it lasts. Judging from the comments of the social media post, however, they already seem to have gotten a headstart!

Fans react to Kawhi Leonard’s ‘short-hair’ look

No sooner had the post highlighting Kawhi Leonard’s latest hairdo gone viral when social media users descended onto the comments section in throngs. One of them took readers back a few years by commenting “Who gonna let Lebron and KD know they need to cut it next?”

2017, the year that Kawhi Leonard first went viral for adopting the short hair look, was also the year that LeBron James made headlines after he shaved his head. He adopted the bald look during the offseason, which would turn out to be his last one with the Cleveland Cavaliers since he would join the Lakers in 2018. Fortunately, while the season started, some hair had started to cover his top. Later on, in 2021, Kawhi Leonard made an appearance on one of rapper Drake’s track. The hairdo he had adopted in the music video saw him getting compared to Kevin Durant by social media users.

One fan interpreted the short hair as a sign that Kawhi Leonard is preparing himself to get all focused and drop the rebellious hairstyle for a while. He proceeded to state “This man about go crazy in the Olympics with bron and steph”.

The upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics may mark the first time that Kawhi Leonard gets the chance to represent Team USA in basketball. While he was selected for the same, his health situation unfortunately puts his availability under a cloud of doubt. Leonard developed a right knee inflammation during the Clippers regular season that caused him to miss out on eight games. During the playoffs, he could only make himself available in two of the six matchups against the Dallas Mavericks. The doubts continue on till now, with Celtics shooting guard Derrick White being suggested as his potential replacement in the Olympics roster.

Another individual decided to hit two birds with one stone by commenting “This like harden cutting his beard”. The 34-year-old Clippers point guard is known for his iconic beard that would make anyone instantly recognize him when being viewed even from miles away. His characteristic look even earned him the nickname ‘The Beard’ by many. Till now, Harden has not chosen to depart from the same. With the only thing remaining form his long record being a NBA championship, Harden once stated “This s*** gone, Nelson” if it meant he could possess the Larry O’Brien trophy.

Another fan chose to comment “And? Ni**a ain’t Iverson…. move along”. Being a prominent part of the NBA from 1996-2010, Allen Iverson established himself as a remarkable player who unintentionally also became a fashion icon. He challenged the traditional image of what a NBA player should look like. His distinctive style of clothing consisting of shiny jewellery and tattoos was always accompanied by his iconic braids. Through his remark, the fan may have stated that Kawhi Leonard cannot take his look to the same level as the NBA legend. Overall, the reactions were mixed in nature towards Kawhi Leonard’s short hair.

Before leaving, be sure to check out some insights that Shaquille O’Neal’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, shared about WNBA star rookies Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark.