Elfrid Payton has perhaps the most unique hair in the league. It's sort of a high-top fade, but instead of just going straight up, there's a floppy extension out over the front of his head like an awning.
Unfortunately, awnings can sometimes affect what you can and cannot see, as Payton learned out the hard way on New Year's Day. Payton and the Orlando Magic were taking on the Brooklyn Nets in a holiday matchup, and during the first quarter, Payton made a drive to the hoop.
Moving right, he stopped on a dime in the middle of the lane, and quickly rose up for a floater, leaving DeMarre Carroll rooted to the ground. But even though he was just about 10 feet from the basket, he came up well short with a confusing airball. That floater isn't the easiest shot in the world, but it's certainly not one that should be airballed.
So what happened? Well, Payton's hair got in the way. Watch the slow-motion replay at the end of this clip.
As the point guard stopped and rose up for the shot, the hair in front of his head flopped down in front of his eyes, obscuring his vision.
Even if it was only for a second, it's wicked hard to suddenly have your vision get blocked out in the middle of a shot, and try to recalibrate things in mid-air.
This is certainly one of the strangest missed shots you'll ever see -- well, unless your hair, like Payton's is also covering your eyes.
