
Perched atop a mountain of wavy, pulled-back hair is a mangled ball of manliness, a holdover from the days of the samurai. Joakim Noah, the most fashionable Chicago Bull, has a top bun.
In the annals of hair, the top bun renaissance will be marked by the styleâs escape from the shackles of gender and Brooklynâs âhipsterâ L train. Wearing top buns (also known as the top knot or, according to The New York Times, the man bun), men are straddling both fashion and practicality. And looking sexy while doing so.
The bunâs unisex construction pushes rogue strands of hair away from the face and, in only a few minutes, presents a clean, polished look. Stylist Brandon Williams, who works with the Memphis Grizzliesâ Mike Conley, tells me that in a generation of NBA players who aspire to classy GQ fashionâSteve Nash shed his Katie Couric tresses for a Mad Men cut, Kevin Durant opts for thick-rimmed glassesâNoah is a rebel.
Once known unofficially as the leagueâs ugliest millionaire, infamous for his gap-toothed grin and frizzy coiffure, Noah has morphed into a defensive juggernaut. The spawn of beautiful tennis player Yannick Noah and equally beautiful Miss Sweden â78 Cecilia Rodhe, the 28-year-old has lead a severely undermanned Bulls into a fierce bloodbath against LeBron James and his Miami Heat.
Noahâs hairdo, like his playing style, is âorganized chaos, strategic and wild,â says Williams. âItâs pulled back and neat, but has that mess quality to it.â He is not graceful. When his 7-foot frame jumps, steals, and sprints, he look less Air Jordan and more baby giraffe. His shot has zero mechanic perfection. Noah is awkward, probably dangerous, and sometimes comical. But, for him, it always works.
Heâs a rebounding machineâslapping, growling, and grinding his way through games. Ryan B. Anthony, a beauty expert who works with NBA wives, says Noahâs look is natural, reminiscent of the long-haired warriors, Vikings, and Trojans. âYour hair is your crown,â he tells me.
Noahâs adoption of the samuraiâs top bun, however, doesnât mean he prescribes to bushido, or the âway of the warrior,â off the court. Hair down and free and swept to the side, he looks like Angelina Jolie with Brad Pittâs arms. His sultry stare pierces the camera.
His right arm, wrapped around a woman, two bottles of beer in his hand. His left other arm, wrapped around two more women, and another bottle in his hand. Sometimes he frolics in the water with topless coeds and red Solo cups. Heâs been arrested with marijuana. The hair melds with his bohemian attitude, and loose-fitting, rarely tailored clothing.
On the court, the whistle blows and his hair goes up. There is work to do.