Former Tar Heel Coby White shocked Instagram with his (alleged) new haircut

Tar Heel Nation stood in disbelief yesterday when pictures of Coby White surfaced on social media. The second-year Chicago Bull cut the long, luxurious hair that he made famous during a sensational freshman campaign in Chapel Hill.

Chicago ended their season last Sunday, just missing the NBA play-in tournament. Coby has some time on his hands now, and apparently decided the time was right to try something new.

UNC fans could easily identify Coby White running the break while he was in Carolina blue, his flowing locks suspended in the air as he buzzed down the court. While in full stride, Coby’s hair would swoop behind his head, like Sonic the Hedgehog’s speed lines during an all-out dash. His catch-and-shoot threes were punctuated by a soft bounce in his mane, his hair landing as softly as his stroke did in the net.

That lively flow did not change during Coby’s first two years in the NBA:

ESPN commentator Jay Bilas was effusive in his praise of the well coifed Tar Heel during Carolina games. Coby showed versatility too, both sporting a natural fro style, and braided into a ponytail. Both styles showed volume, shine, and no trace of a receding hairline. Coby’s hair was perfect.

Coby’s hair made him recognizable and unique. His haircut, an S-Curl or faded into curls style, is fairly common in the NBA. In a cookie-cutter league where teams all play similar styles, I’m disheartened that Coby now looks more like everyone else.

Tar Heel Blog editor, Bulls fan, Coby White-stan, and conspiracy theory enthusiast Brandon Anderson is not totally convinced that Coby has actually cut his hair, and is in fact trolling his fans on social media. An examination of the video does show the top and front of Coby’s hair, but not the back. Could he have pulled a ponytail back tight to hide it? Is Coby’s hair still long and luscious? Stay tuned to these pages for any future developments.