Robin Lopez vs. Joakim Noah
Two of the best heads of hair in the NBA will be in the same building Friday night, as Portland center Robin Lopez and Chicago's Joakim Noah face off at the United Center in the last contest of a five-game road trip for the Trail Blazers.
Both players, who share an affinity for long, untamed curly locks, are having career seasons at just the right time for their respective teams.
Noah, who has been mentioned as an MVP candidate for his ability to lead the Bulls to the playoffs despite yet another season without Derrick Rose, is averaging career-highs in points (12.4 per game), rebounds (11.2 per game), assists (5.1 per game), blocks (1.6 per game) and steals (1.2 per game) while playing and starting every game this season. He's also put up career numbers in field goals made with 322 and taken with 666.
While Lopez doesn't garner the same attention that Noah does, his performance this season has been just as invaluable for the Trail Blazers. He's shattering his previous career-high in rebounding with 8.5 per game this season while also putting up his best numbers in blocks (1.7 per game), offensive rebounds (4.0 per game) free-throw shooting (82 percent) and minutes (31.7 per game). And like Noah, Lopez has been incredibly durable this season, starting in all 73 of Portland's games this season.
It's debatable which of the two centers in tonight's game has the better hairdo, but what is inarguable is that neither team would be anywhere close to as good this season without their respective hirsute big men.