For the first time since he was but one of the NBA's up-and-comers, Allen Iverson's dome is sans cornrows.

Long the symbol of the L's urbanization, Iverson's braids have garnered as much attention as his ankle-breaking crossovers over the years. This, I presume, will make the people who once airbrushed his tattoos off the cover of the League's official publication feel some sort of vindication.

And thanks to this new look, which was unveiled yesterday in Phoenix, A.I. now spends a considerably shorter amount of time in front of the mirror. Which drastically reduces the number of excuses for skipping out on practice.

All-Star Media Day 2009 [SLAMonline]

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