Is Victor Wembanyama the next fashion icon of the NBA? Previous players belonging to the basketball league have used their platform to highlight a specific look or alter their physicality in a way that influenced fans to follow the same path. No example is more prominent than Allen Iverson’s baggy outfits and Russell Westbrook’s shiny apparel. Wembanyama already displayed his fashion sense earlier during the Paris Fashion Week. Now, he is taking things up a notch with his hair!

Earlier today, the official X account of Hoop Central highlighted a recent pic of Wemby as he enjoys the remaining days of the off-season. While the white vest and the glasses hanging from it would have been enough to generate fans’ attention, what really took many by surprise was the player’s new hairdo. Seen on the NBA court during the 2023-24 season with a curly yet well-maintained hairstyle, the star has now adopted a set of dreadlocks to go alongside his maintained Mustache and beard. By keeping his eyes away from the camera, Wemby was allowing social media users to get a proper glimpse of the styling.

The San Antonio Spurs player’s new look comes almost a year after he went viral for taking fans back to the ’90s NBA, to the days of ‘Dennis the Menace.’ Before making his NBA debut, Wembanyama was seen working out in the gym while sporting a blonde and purple dyed hairdo. Highlighted during a segment of ‘Oddball’, co-host Charlotte Wilder jokingly hyped the player up over it while also adding “Isn’t really a Spurs color but it could be now.” Other viewers would have felt the same, as dying the hair in unusual combinations was a concept popularized by Detroit Pistons ‘Bad Boy’ and later Chicago Bulls legend Dennis Rodman. From adopting a full green look to having his hair sparkle in red with the Chicago Bulls emblem painted at the back in black, the five-time NBA champion didn’t hesitate to make people aware of why he was ‘different’ and liked it.

The world certainly evolved in different ways since Dennis Rodman first started coming occasionally with a new hair color. However, this shouldn’t mean that fans should still not be surprised upon witnessing a new look and not make their instant reaction known.

Fans React as Victor Wembanyama adopts the ‘Dreadlock’ look

Victor Wembanyama’s new hair look was bringing in praises from all sides. One didn’t have to be a basketball fan to appreciate the dreadlocks, as highlighted by one social media user.

Another individual didn’t indicate whether he liked or hated the new look. Instead, all he did was express worry that Spurs coach Gregg Popovich may end up asking Wemby to cut the hair before the commencement of the regular season.

In the 26 years that he has been the coach of the Western Conference franchise, there have not been any reports of Popovich asking players to cut their hair when they were playing the NBA season. However, if Wemby had kept the dyed hair look from last year, the coach certainly would have had something to say. After all, back in 2015, Popovich hilariously mocked George Hill’s dyed hair by stating “Georg-ie! I like it!” and then pretending to comb his own hair.

A majority of the social media users started to draw a comparison between Wembanyama and five-time Spurs champion Tim Duncan. While some highlighted it by indicating some stats Wemby would make, others highlighted it straightforwardly.

Tim Duncan did go viral in 2019 for adopting a set of dreadlocks similarly to how the 19-year-old has done now. Prior to that, however, he kept a consistent look for almost two decades by maintaining his closely cropped haircut. Ironically, Wemby started getting the Tim Duncan comparison early on after he also adopted an afro cutback in July 2023, according to LMT Online.

One comment took Wemby’s new hairstyle as an indication that the player seems to be finally adapting to the US culture. After all, something like dreadlocks would not be unusual, but still a rare sight amongst the French citizens.

Having originated from France, everyone would have expected Wemby to have a sort of adjustment period. The player himself admitted that he learned English without the help of anyone else since “Knowing I would play in the NBA later, I was really interested in English. Basketball people speak English.” The French star is not the only one who is adjusting well to the new country, as he stated about his family “They’ve done a good job not being overwhelmed by all this.”

Overall, the reactions were very positive towards Victor Wembanyma’s new hairdo. Whether the look will remain consistent throughout the upcoming season remains to be seen.

Before you go, remember to check out this crossover between BG12 and Georgia Bulldogs star Silas Demary Jr.