Bald don't lie: Jaylen Brown addresses hairline issues

Notably, James did not pick up his phone, which is what many of Brown's Celtics teammates declined to do when Brown called them during a September live stream.

An openly bald Jaylen Brown could be a better player

Brown is averaging 26 PPG this season and shooting 50 percent from the field, but he only has one steal and one block through four games, after averaging over a steal a game each of the last six seasons. Perhaps that's because he was subconsciously trying not to get too close to players he was guarding, for fear of another smudged jersey.

Brown could also look to teammate Derrick White, who was covering a receding hairline until the summer of 2023, when he finally went with a shaved head.

What happened after that? White set career marks in points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks and three-point shooting (196 threes at 39.6 percent). He finished eighth in Defensive Player of the Year voting, and the Celtics won the NBA title, thanks to the freedom of playing without a headband or a combover.

Brown may have suffered embarrassment, but he attacked the problem good-naturedly. Playing without the injured Jayson Tatum and many members of the 2024 title team, the Celtics will face several issues this season. Their best player has shown he can address his own problems decisively.