Who rocked the best hairstyle in Asia Cup history?

Beirut (Lebanon) - The FIBA Asia Cup has always been a platform for the best basketball players in the region to showcase their skills one the court. Every now and then, it also turns into a place to display some of the most fashionable hairstyles. The FIBA Asia Cup 2021 is less than 800 days away, so let’s take a moment to glimpse at 8 of the best hairdos on display in the last decade of action!

Jasim Abdallah (UAE)

Now 30 years of age, Jasim Abdalla is one of the most important players of the UAE national team as a grizzly-bearded veteran. You can barely recognize him in his first Asia Cup appearance back in 2007 when he was just an 18-year-old kid.

The film “No Country for Old Men” was released only a few months prior to the start of the tournament. We wouldn’t be surprised if Abdalla was inspired by the movie’s antagonist played by Javier Bardem.

Terrence Romeo (PHI)

The Philippines’ star guard has played in two Asia Cups so far. Romeo’s scoring has been impressive (17.8 points per game in 2017) and has made him a star, but his hairstyles over both tournaments has been just as eye-catching as his bucket-getting ways.

Romeo made his Asia Cup debut in 2015 with golden streaks in his hair, matching his moniker as the “Golden Boy” of the Philippines. 2 years later, Romeo cleaned up his look with a cool ponytail.

Tseng Wen-Ting (TPE)

If we’re talking about glorious ponytails, there is no one that dons it better than Tseng Wen-Ting.

Not only is the 2.04M (6’8”) forward known for his sweet-stroke shooting as a big man, he’s always sported a glorious ponytail that flutters and dances whenever Tseng takes the court in Asia Cup competition. The Chinese-Taipei center is consistent on the court with an average of 7.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.1 assists over 5 Asia Cups.

Daoud Mousa (QAT)

Daoud Mousa has had one of the longest tenures ever in the Asia Cup with 6 in total from 2001 to 2015. The 1.93M (6’4”) guard of the Qatar national team is one of their best scorers with an average of 10.8 points per game in Asia Cup play.

At the 2015 edition of the tournament, Mousa donned mini-dreads a la Derrick Rose.

Ali Zaghab (JOR)

While Mousa went with mini-dreads in the 2015 Asia Cup, Ali Jamal Zaghab didn’t hold back and went with the full dreads at the same tournament.

The Jordanian big was an inside presence who averaged 8.0 points and 7.0 rebounds per contest that year, arguably the best of his 3 Asia Cup runs. We’re not saying it’s because of the hair, but we’re not ruling out the possibility.

Asi Taulava (PHI)

Any list discussing basketball and hairstyles requires a mention for Filipino big man Asi Taulava. You can easily spot Taulava from a distance already due to his 2.08M (6’10”) frame, but if that’s not enough, there’s no way you can miss his dyed blond curls.

Taulava last played at the Asia Cup in 2015 and ever at 42-years-old, his hair was as glorious as ever.

Gabe Norwood (PHI)

The Philippines play an exciting brand of basketball and manage to look cool doing it, too. Though we already have Romeo and Taulava on this list of hairstyles, Gabe Norwood has to be added to this list as well.

Norwood, a veteran of 5 Asia Cups and one of Gilas’ most important players, let his hair grow out a bit at the latest 2017 tournament. It’s not easy to look this cool while locking down some of the best forwards in Asia, but Norwood made it happen.

Kei Igarashi (JPN)

As a country, Japan is known to be one of the most fashionable nations in the region. That sense of style is apparent among the basketball players as well.

Kei Igarashi was one of the best Japanese guards in the early 2000s, while looking like he could double as a J-Pop star off the court. When he was on the court, however, he played some sweet music with his shooting.

Honorable Mention: Wong Zhong Han (SGP)

Singapore didn't make it past the Eastern Region Pre-Qualifiers for the FIBA Asia Cup 2021, but their star guard Wong Zhong Han might have had the best hair we've ever seen on the court.