On April 25, 1997, Phoenix Suns shooter Rex Chapman lit up the Seattle Supersonics for a playoff record nine three-pointers en route to a 106-101 victory.
Not only was Chapman’s performance an incredible display of perimeter shooting, it was an inspiration to all aspiring ballers with hair loss issues. In the 1990s there were countless bald hoop stars to aspire to be (Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, Karl Malone..), but none of them are so closely associated with baldness.
For Chapman, the transition from the mulleted Kentucky college hoops star to bald icon was more sudden, striking and rapid than even the hair loss of Jon Barry. And it seemed the less hair Chapman grew, the more clutch his shooting became. His shooting percentage increased with the demise of every hair follicle. Under the intense lights of the playoffs, Chapman’s bald head seemed to absorb radiation to fuel his three-point barrages.
Chapman was a fan favorite in Phoenix, but he was far more loved by his legions of bald fans. Many a prematurely balding guy would pass over other players to select Chapman when playing NBA Jams. In one-on-one street games, when other guys would claim to be the second coming of Michael Jordan, there were others with receding hairlines and emerging bald spots who would drop a three in the face of an opponent and yell “Rex Chapman!”
Chapman’s name and memory have faded from the public consciousness in the years since he retired. But if you ever find yourself in a sports bar sitting beside a table full of bald guys during the NBA playoffs, you’ll no doubt hear them speak in reverent tones about a legendary shooter by the name of Rex Chapman.
*The bald Celtic Ray Allen tied Chapman’s record of 9 threes in a playoff game on April 30, 2009 in a loss to the Chicago Bulls.
