Boston Celtics

The numbers don't lie: Kelly Olynyk is better with his hair in a bun

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 2:01 p.m. ET

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Sports Illustrated, Kenny Ducey/Sports Illustrated via Extra Mustard

Celtics center Kelly Olynyk owns the most luscious golden locks in the NBA, but he’s noncommittal on how to style them while he plays.

For most of his career, Olynyk has decided to rock a hair band and wear his hair down during competition. There’s been a clear change this year. In 17 of the 29 games he’s played in this season he’s tried out a man bun, which many of the team’s dedicated fans have claimed makes him play better.

As a skeptic, I decided to take a look at the numbers. They were staggering.

With the bun, he’s gone for 19 points twice, and scored in double-digits eight times. Without it, he’s touched 10 points just once. As an added bonus, the Celtics have won almost 65% of their games when the Gonzaga product deploys his new hairstyle, and won only 58% when he wears his hair down.

There were many pieces written in late 2015 and early 2016 about the man bun, most of them bad. Some even tried to claim it caused hair loss. Perhaps this will spark a pro-man bun movement in 2017. I can’t speak to the man bun causing hair loss, but I can speak to it causing winning. Wear a hair bun, and you’ll average four more points per game. Guaranteed.

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Boston Celtics

Kelly Olynyk

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