Although quite young, NBA player Ja Morant of the Memphis Grizzlies has had an exciting climb in his pro-ball career. Overlooked by college recruiters in his younger days, he’s since blown away critics with fantastic basketball skills on the court, even gaining career milestones like Rookie of the Year in 2020.
But aside from his amazing career and talent for the game he loves, Ja is also known for his versatile hairstyles on and off the court. Sure, he doesn’t shave his head bald or grow it out into a huge afro, but he makes all sorts of tweaks in his dreads.
Want to have hair like Ja Morant? Here are 15 of his different hairstyles you can take inspiration from!
Ja Morant hairstyle:
Medium-Length Skinny Dreads
Here’s Ja’s signature hairstyle that’s been with him pretty much since he started his career—his skinny dreads. They’re so thin that they can sometimes be mistaken for braids or twists, but they are, in fact, traditional dreads.
He wears them in a medium length, just above his shoulders. Some pieces near the front are a bit shorter than those at the back, helping to frame his face a bit more.
Dreads Twisted with Colorful Extensions
This photo of Ja shows off his silly, vibrant side, not just in his facial expression but also in the colors he incorporated into his hair. In this hairstyle, he uses extensions in different colors to spruce up his usual dreads, from yellow to green.
To do this, he probably created twists in his hair with the colored extension pieces. It’s a creative way to add extra excitement to a hairstyle that looks the same on most days, so it’s quite clever of him!
Short, Thick Twists
In his days playing ball at the collegiate level for Murray State, Ja wore his hair much shorter but still with a protective style. His twists were thick and relatively short at just a few inches long, so there wasn’t much versatility in how they could be styled. Nonetheless, this low-maintenance hairdo gave him an eye-catching, youthful appearance even back then.
Long Dreads with a Half-Updo
When Ja is on the court, he sometimes likes to tie his dreads in a way that won’t make them get in his face while doing drills or chasing after an opponent. To make sure his hair stays in place, the Memphis point guard puts his hair in a half-updo.
He does so in a ponytail style, but only with the top portion of his hair. The rest of his dreads, he wears down and natural.
Barrel Twists
Another way Ja Morant keeps his hair out of his face during practice is by putting his hair in four thick barrel twists that go down his head. That way, no hair will be blowing in the wind while he’s running. This makes for a more focused game or practices sesh—and also a great protective style for his Afro hair!
Half Bun with Colored Dreads Sticking Out
It’s difficult to put dreadlocks in a bun, especially if you’re only working with half your hair. But Ja can do so with confidence, even though a few locks sometimes stick out at the top, which we find kind of charming! He’ll sometimes color a few of his dreads, adding more playfulness to his otherwise competitive and serious appearance at games.
Covered with a Scarf
When working out or chilling at home, most guys don’t really care about how their hair looks. Ja seems to have that laid-back outlook on how to style his hair when he’s not playing ball or practicing, too. In this photo, we see him with a scarf or bandana wrapped around his dreads, presumably to protect them from the elements for the time being.
Medium Dreads with Middle Part
By the time Ja was named Rookie of the Year in the NBA, his short dreads from college were already becoming longer by the day until they reached this medium length. Instead of letting them fall in front of his face, he parted his locks down the middle, creating a kind of “curtain” look with his hair.
With a Lone Red Lock
We’ve already seen how Ja likes to incorporate different colors into his dreads to make some of them stand out. One of our favorite ways he’s done this was when he wore a single vibrant red lock right by his face. It was cool because it got him noticed, even if the change was subtle and not overly flashy.
Wearing an NBA Headband
To protect his dreads from getting too sweaty when playing or practicing, Ja sometimes wears an official NBA headband. While this is primarily to keep his hair out of his way, it also looks stylish enough to be a fashion accessory for those who strive to look like their favorite NBA point guard.
Natural Afro
Here’s a rare photo of Ja without the dreads and twists he’s become famous for. Because he has naturally thick and curly black hair, he looks awesome with a natural afro. Try this look if you’re not ready to commit to dreads and other protective styles like him.
Short, Weighed Down Dreads
Although Ja often styles his hair to make sure they’re out of his face during games, he sometimes also lets them fall naturally, even if it kind of covers his forehead a bit. This is a more laidback look of Ja, where his short dreads look heavy and weighed down. The gravity then allows the hair to fall gracefully in front of his face to form a sort of fringe.
Slicked Back with a Yellow Streak
Ja looks like an absolute superstar in this hairstyle. His dreads are slicked back but not tied in a half-updo, so you can see his forehead and face properly while getting to admire his thick, luscious dreads. He also has a streak of yellow in one of the front pieces, making him look even cooler!
Half-Up Micro Locs
In a Beats by Dr. Dre campaign, Ja sported micro locs, which made his usually thick locks look a little thinner and curlier. He styled it in another half-up bun that gave his hair a lot of extra height while still showing off the gorgeous, protective style.
Short Dreads and Cap
Let’s finish off this list with another throwback hairstyle of Ja with shorter dreads and a cap worn backward. This is a great go-to style if your dreads are having a bad hair day and you still want to emulate that Ja Morant athletic street style.
