The goal of many young basketball players is to reach the NBA.
Only very few possess the talent to achieve that dream, but that’s not even the hardest part.
Kevin Durant names all-time starting five – with no room for Curry, LeBron, Jordan or Shaq
That, of course, is staying in the league and for those who are considered the elite of the elite, that would be carving out a long-lasting legacy in the process.
Many players enter the league as teenagers, and so there is some air of natural transformation as they become men.
Some may change their hairstyles, some may grow – or get rid of – facial hair. Others may make the gym their home as they get their bodies in optimum shape for competition.
With that in mind, talkSPORT has curated a list of the most unrecognisable stars in the NBA from their rookie seasons to now.
GET YOUR NBA FIX RIGHT HERELeBron James – Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Lakers
No player has played more NBA seasons than 40-year-old LeBron James – well until he features in the 2025-26 campaign that is.
Having entered the league as a high school prodigy with a lot of pressure placed upon his young shoulders, the 23-year veteran known as ‘King James’ has perhaps far exceeded all expectations and is firmly in the GOAT conversation alongside the great Michael Jordan.
The four-time NBA champion grew up and came of age in the public eye, where he has gone from baby-faced generational talent at the Cleveland Cavaliers to ‘headband LeBron’ at the Miami Heat to defying Father Time at the Los Angeles Lakers – though his greying beard says otherwise – which is only fitting for the league’s all-time leading scorer.
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LeBron James entered the NBA as a teenager straight out of high schoolCredit: Getty
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Entering Year 23, James has added more muscle, facial hair, and no longer sports the headbandCredit: GettyJames Harden – Oklahoma City Thunder, Los Angeles Clippers
It’s hard to envision now that there was a time when James Harden didn’t sport his iconic beard that saw him nicknamed – unsurprisingly – ‘The Beard. ‘
The last American to win the NBA MVP award in 2018 made a career out of his signature step-back three-point shot was once accused by his older brother, Akili Robertson, of growing the beard to compete with him.
But on his momentous draft night in 2009, and through his early years in the league as the sixth man of the Oklahoma City Thunder, nobody could quite predict just how good he would become, and was later connected with the ‘Fear the Bear’ mantra from opponents.
Perhaps he felt his facial hair gave him magical powers of being a superstar in the NBA for the best part of a decade.
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James Harden had less of a beard during his rookie season at the ThunderCredit: Getty
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Harden’s beard became synonymous with his playCredit: GettySteven Adams – Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets
Everyone’s favorite Kiwi – even the Australians – arrived into the NBA with the Thunder back in 2013 as the 12th overall pick in the draft.
The baby-faced 6-foot-11 center quickly became known for his physical strength and toughness under the rim, and soon enough his physical appearance transformed to align better with his reputation.
Growing out his hair into long locks, growing facial hair, and adding ink to his arms that ties to his Māori heritage, Adams, today a member of the Houston Rockets, now visually fits the whole ‘rugged warrior’ persona, which has seen him become a valuable contributor for his respective teams.
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Steven Adams was once fresh from tattoos and long hairCredit: Getty
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Now, Adams sports a more daunting physical look to instill fear in the paintCredit: GettyJaylen Brown – Boston Celtics
Jaylen Brown was once in possession of the richest contract – five-years, $304 million – in NBA history, before this was surpassed by his Boston Celtics teammate, Jayson Tatum in 2024.
This was certainly not on the bingo cards of anyone who saw the highly-intelligent prospect out of the University of California, Berkeley who donned a freshly-trimmed high-top in the early stages of his career, drafted with the third overall pick in 2016.
Now a four-time All-Star and former Finals MVP winner, Brown has shed off his hair in favor of a buzz cut, while he has also taken on extreme training methods to pile on the muscle and prime his body for the physicality of the NBA.
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Jaylen Brown donned his signature flat-top in the early years of his careerCredit: Getty
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Brown has undergone a significant body transformation, piling on muscle while shaving his head and growing facial hairCredit: GettyGiannis Antetokounmpo – Milwaukee Bucks
Giannis Antetokounmpo did not become a ‘freak’ overnight.
In fact, nobody thought that when the Milwaukee Bucks gambled on the Greek-born power forward with the 15th overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft that he would transform the Bucks into a championship-winning team.
Initially donning a slender 6-foot-11 frame, Antetokounmpo quickly found that he needed to transform his body to match the physicality of other bigs around the league, especially in the paint.
Over the years, he reportedly added between 40-50lbs of muscle mass which had little-to-no effect on the ‘Greek Freak’s’ explosiveness, athleticism and ability to drive down the court and into the lanes.
In fact, it enhanced it, and has made him one of the most feared opponents in the NBA today.
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Antetokounmpo was a scrawny teenager who looked – physically – out of his depthCredit: Getty
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Now, the Greek Freak is one of the most feared forwards in the NBACredit: GettyZion Williamson – New Orleans Pelicans
Zion Williamson, much like LeBron James, entered the league with a huge amount of hype surrounding his name.
The Duke standout was an electrifying college basketball talent, and was overwhelmingly touted to go No. 1 overall in the 2019 draft.
However, his availability to the New Orleans Pelicans has been sparse due to injury and overall health issues as it pertains to his weight.
But, a new page looks to have been turned as Williamson has entered the 2025-25 season looking much leaner, and feels he is in the best physical condition since his college days.
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Williamson was a highly-hyped prospect out of DukeCredit: Getty
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Williamson has shed some pounds to get himself in the best possible shape for the 2025 seasonCredit: GettyLuka Doncic – Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Lakers
Even Luka Doncic was left shocked by his trade from the Dallas Mavericks to the Lakers at the 2024-25 season’s trade deadline.
With Mavs general manager Nico Harrison citing the Slovenian’s weight issues as one of the reasons for moving on from the five-time All-Star, Doncic has since gone all out to prove his former employer wrong.
Although he looked noticeably slimmer in the summer, Doncic, who penned a three-year, $165 million extension with the Purple and Gold in August, entered Lakers training camp 14lbs heavier than he did last season with the Mavericks.
Nonetheless, this slight discrepancy hasn’t stopped him from running the show in Hollywood.
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Doncic took the league by storm when he joined the NBA from Spanish Liga ACB side Real MadridCredit: Getty
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Doncic has come of age under our eyes, and now sports more facial hair and tattoosCredit: GettyJoel Embiid – Philadelphia 76ers
Joel Embiid sat out his first two seasons in the NBA with injury so few may remember that he entered the league as a scrawny 7-footer with no trim out of the Kansas Jayhawks.
But when healthy enough to be out on the court, Embiid – who now dons natural coils with a temple fade – made his presence known, and gradually packed on the muscle as the seasons went by.
It was in 2020-21 though, where the 7-time All-Star took a huge step up, and finished as the MVP runner to fellow center Nikola Jokic, before history repeated itself in 2021-22.
The Cameroonian-born big would exact his revenge on his third attempt at the coveted MVP award after a monstrous 2022-23 campaign of 33.1 points and 10.2 rebounds where he was in his peak physical condition.
But, he has since struggled with his health again, though he has appeared to drop some pounds in an attempt to combat this.
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Embiid looks hardly recognisable as a rookie, sporting a short trimCredit: Getty
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Embiid packed on the muscle, but looks leaner entering the 2025-26 campaignCredit: GettyAnthony Davis – New Orleans Hornets, Dallas Mavericks
Anthony Davis may have undergone the biggest transformation of anyone in the NBA.
A top prospect out of the University of Kentucky, Davis, who at the time donned a wiry frame, wound up being selected by the New Orleans Hornets with the No. 1 overall pick in 2012.
Concern mounted over Davis’- who sported a prolific monobrow – ability to be able to withstand the physical demands of being in the biggest basketball league in the world, so he committed to bulking up, reportedly gaining upwards of 30 lbs, while he also grew an inch.
Now, Davis is one of the most physical shot-blockers in the league, and while the three-time NBA blocks leader’s monobrow is still present, the addition of thick facial hair and newly-acquired goggles – which he has to wear for the rest of his career – is somewhat muted, making the 2020 NBA champion scarcely recognizable from his rookie year.
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Davis’ brow was prominent with his long, skinny frame during his early yearsCredit: Getty
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Davis has now filled out his body, while he now dons goggles due to an eye injuryCredit: GettyKevin Love – Minnesota Timberwolves, Utah Jazz
California (Kevin) Love came up through the ranks at UCLA before being drafted to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The son of the late Stan Love, who had a brief four-year career in the 1970s with the Baltimore Bullets and Lakers, started out as a “kinda chunky” forward who lacked mobility and physical conditioning.
But after two seasons, he underwent an unprecedented body transformation, which, in turn, saw him make a statistical leap on the box score where he quickly evolved into one of the very best bigs in the league during his prime.
Now, Love – an NBA champion with the 2016 Cavs – has aged like a fine wine, and still plying his trade, now with the Utah Jazz in Year 18, the 37-year-old has made the inevitable hair greying process look cool.
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Kevin Love entered the NBA with a buzz cut and a baby face free from facial hairCredit: Getty
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Love has aged like a fine wine as he enters his 18th seasonCredit: GettyRudy Gobert – Utah Jazz, Minnesota Timberwolves
Rudy Gobert may now be the first player in NBA history to have been named the Defensive Player of the Year four times, but he was once just another center who had length, but lacked the strength to be a dominant force in the paint.
Initially a role player for the Jazz who had a goatee beard, the Frenchman quickly emerged as a rising star in the NBA once he cemented a starting role on the team.
He won the first of his DPOY awards in his third year as a starter in 2017-18, and has since gone nine straight seasons averaging a double-double of 14.2 points and 12.2 rebounds, along with 2.1 blocks from 2017-25 between the Jazz and Timberwolves.
As of 2025, he has completely shaved off his hair to sport a strong bald look, while he has opted for a full, thick beard.
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Gobert (L) entered the league with a goateeCredit: Getty
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The Frenchman has now shaved his head entirely and is rocking the thick beardCredit: GettyStephen Curry – Golden State Warriors
Stephen Curry entered the league in 2009 as a baby-faced assassin fresh off a fairytale few seasons with Davidson in college.
Fast forward to 2025 and Chef Curry is a four-time NBA champion, two-time league MVP and Finals MVP.
Time has been kind to the Golden State Warriors star, where even though he might be 37, and bearded, he still looks far younger than his years as he competes in Year 17.
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Stephen Curry entered the NBA as a baby-faced assassinCredit: Getty
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Same pose 17 years later and Curry is now the NBA’s all-time leading three-point scorerCredit: Getty
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