Famous Barber Cuts LaMelo Ball's Hair, Reveals Completely New Look for Hornets' Star

LaMelo is rocking a brand-new haircut.

Apr 5, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) during a stoppage in the first quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images | Matt Blewett-Imagn Images

Another year in the league is in the books for Charlotte Hornets point guard LaMelo Ball, and perhaps it's the start of a new chapter in his career after playing in a career-high 72 games this season. The next time we see Ball in uniform, though, he'll have quite a different look.

Famous barber Philly Garcia posted a video on his Instagram account showing him chopping off LaMelo's hair as he chose to go super short, very reminiscent of his time at Spire Academy. Since he's been in the league, he's always had the frohawk (or whatever you want to call it) type of look.

Philly Garcia has over 53k followers on Instagram and is widely known for doing celebrity cuts. Recently, he's taken care of Arizona Cardinals draft pick Jeremiyah Love, New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart, Pittsburgh Steelers DB Jalen Ramsey, Los Angeles Rams cornerback Trent McDuffie, Denver Broncos corner Pat Surtain II, Washington Commanders QB Jayden Daniels, golfer Brooks Koepka, former NBA player Danny Granger, and many more. As a matter of fact, LaMelo visited him for a touch-up just a couple of months ago, also.

We're already experiencing a completely new LaMelo Ball

Apr 12, 2026; New York, New York, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) drives to the basket against New York Knicks guard Kevin McCullar Jr. (9) during the first half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The number one knock on LaMelo has been his availability. As previously mentioned, this year he did a much better job of taking care of his body, and the Hornets' training staff did a good job managing his minutes earlier in the year, despite some frustration from the fans.

“I’m so proud of him, playing 72 games, and it is because of him. He put the work in," Hornets President of Basketball Ops Jeff Peterson said. "Of course, our medical performance staff helped, our coaching staff did a great job, and helped him, but this past summer, he took the next steps. He got uncomfortable, continued to take care of his body, pushed himself. It’s not my accident that he played 72 games. Defensively, I thought his effort on that end of the floor was more intense; it was more sustained. Offensively, there’s not much he can’t do on the offensive end of the court.”

Before this season, there was this narrative that LaMelo is an unserious player and one that an NBA team can't win with. You still had a few folks saying similar things after the team's performance in the Play-In, but you can't deny the fact that he was the engine to the Hornets' mid-season turnaround. When he's on the floor, they are a much better team. There is no debating it. The numbers tell the whole story.

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