Joe Ingles has a balding head and is not known as one of the NBA's style icons, but don't be surprised if he dons a chic dark blue headband when the Utah Jazz return to the court this week.
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The Australian jokester believes the headband could be his lucky charm.
"The chance I play in it is very small, but if I play with it in a scrimmage and I play a good game, I can promise you it will be here to stay," said Ingles, who sported the blue headband in a chat with reporters.
The Jazz have their first practice game in the Walt Disney World "bubble" in Orlando, Florida, on Thursday (Friday AEST) against Aron Baynes' Phoenix Suns.
The Jazz's first game of the season-restart is against the New Orleans Pelicans on July 30.
Utah Jazz media and fans gave Ingles the nickname "Headband Joe" in 2018 when he suffered a cut across his head in a game and continued playing with white bandages that made him look like an Egyptian mummy.
Ingles sparked headlines in Utah again on the weekend when he appeared in the blue headband at an Orlando team workout and a press conference with reporters.
"My hair has been so luxurious and long I was just trying to keep it out of my eyes today," Ingles joked.
Ingles is a key piece of the Jazz's pursuit of a championship.
The team sits in fourth place in the Western Conference behind the Los Angeles Lakers, LA Clippers and Denver Nuggets.
Ingles will likely fill the void of Utah's sharp-shooting small forward Bojan Bogdanovic, who underwent season-ending wrist surgery in May.
Ingles expects the Jazz to play an up-tempo offence with All-Star centre Rudy Gobert anchoring a potent group of three-point shooters headed by Donovan Mitchell and Mike Conley.
"Pushing the ball and then shooting early threes - good threes, but early threes - can be something that we can be really effective in, because we've got pretty consistent shooters throughout," Ingles said.
The NBA set up the security bubble at Walt Disney World in an attempt to prevent the spread of COVID-19 among players.
It has been a success, with the league announcing on Monday not one positive in tests on 346 players since July 13.
Players will be allowed to invite their families inside the bubble when the first round of the playoffs start on August 17, but Ingles is not sure if his wife Renae and four-year-old twins Milla and Jacob will attend.
Jacob has autism and is thriving while attending therapy in Salt Lake City daily during the week.
Ingles is reluctant to disturb the routine.
"I would love to have them here, have the kids running around and be with me and have Renae here," he said.
"It's normal for me to have my family with me.
"It is something we will continue to talk about."
Australian Associated Press
