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    It’s the fifth game in the 2026 NBA Championship. The Knicks are playing on the San Antonio Spurs’ home court, yet the air is full of love for New York—and so are Josh Hart’s braids. The buzzer hits zero, the Knicks are up 4-1, and the guard just clutched his first-ever finals trophy, the first for the Knicks in 53 years, with the NYK logo braided into his hair.

    “He wants his hair to tell a story and represent New York City,” his braider Shanna Alexander tells ESSENCE. Since 2023, when Hart was first traded to the Knicks, Alexander has been turning his braids into a love letter to the City of Dreams. She’s even done the hair of his teammates Ariel Hukporti, Jose Alvarado, and Karl-Anthony Towns’ fiancé Jordyn Woods. 

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    “When it comes to his hair designs, Josh always wants something that stands out,” she says. “Whether it’s hearts, the NYK/NY logo, or other unique designs, we collaborate and meet in the middle to create looks that make a statement.” Between the opinion of his wife, Shannon Hart, and his braider’s professional whims, Hart’s braids have become one of the most recognized styles in the NBA.

    “It’s been a tradition,” Hart told the NBA about his New York-inscribed braids. He says his hairstyle—a taper fade with stylistic braids up top—was originally a style he saw on former Boston Celtics shooting guard Gerald Green. While the New York logo began with Hart’s Houston hairstylist, Sandra Finn, the same stylist behind Green, it was Alexander who incorporated the symbol into his hair for the finals. 

    Going back-and-forth from Texas to New York, “we typically incorporate the NY logo and then build on it with other elements that represent Josh, such as hearts, stars, and other meaningful symbols,” Alexander says. However, with a game almost every other day, frequent styling means using products with as little harsh chemicals as possible to maintain the health of his hair. 

    “I typically use a lightweight gel, beeswax, and alcohol-free products for hold and definition,” she says. “I also use leave-in conditioners, heat protectants, and oils for moisture and finishing touches.” But, using the right products is only half the maintenance. “Throughout the season, I make sure to give him trims as needed usually about three times to support healthy growth and length retention,” she says. 

    Just like Allen Iverson and Gerald Green, braids have often teamed up with the most successful players on the court. Now, just days after Hart’s first-ever NBA Championship win and the first for the Knicks since 1973, Alexander marked the well-earned comeback with a style just as legendary. “We always want to keep pushing the creativity and making each style memorable.”

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