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SALT LAKE CITY — It takes a lot of work to look this good.
An hour at the barber shop, to be exact, for Jazz forward Gordon Hayward to get his famous haircut that made it all the way onto the pages of GQ.
The style transition from a shaggy-haired rookie to a sixth-year seasoned veteran with hair to die for actually started with his wife, Robyn.
"She cut my hair a handful of times and then she started cutting it the way she wanted — not what I asked. So I said, 'all right I can't go to you anymore.'"
It wasn't until a chance encounter at the mall that Hayward stumbled upon Anthony Brown, who would become his barber and friend. Now Brown is the guy who gets Hayward ready for big games, photo shoots and public appearances.
"It is hard to find someone that you trust to cut your hair. You know, so Anthony has been the first guy that I had here, so I think people have liked it so far. My wife likes the new look, she always takes credit for it, too. I will let her do that."
"The relationship Gordon and I have built is good. I appreciate it, it makes it a lot easier to come in for someone that you like then someone that is just a client. He is a good guy, a good person. We have a lot in common, we come in here and hang out rather than come in here and work," added Brown
The haircut doesn't have a name, at least yet, but it sure has taken off in Utah. Young and old, countless people have tried to replicate Hayward's style.
"The ones that I love are the little boys that I know they don't care that much, which basically means like their mom or dad did it. You are going to get your haircut like this. And you're going to like it," said Hayward.
The hair products Gordon uses is top secret, but to be honest, that's not the key to the hairdo.
"The blow dryer is the most important thing. So after you wash it and get it wet you have to use the hair dryer, and I think some guys are afraid of it. I always thought you only used the blow dryer on hot. Like, I never thought you would go and do it with the cool setting. I didn't even know what that little blue button was for until he told me. You are learning new things every day at the barber shop."
Getting all the attention has made him the butt of jokes with his teammates. Maybe it's because his hair products held up a plane after a road game in Toronto or maybe it's just because they're jealous.
"They make fun of me the whole time. Especially Joe Ingles. I told him he only has about maybe six months left of haircuts, and he is going to have to shave the whole thing. So I go right back at him."
Surprisingly, you can get your own version of the Hayward haircut by the guy behind the style. Anthony is still taking on new clients (contact information available on his Twitter account, @the_barberlife). With the price tag of $35, it would be a shame to not at least give it a try.
