“I’m very superstitious about my hair”: USC’s JuJu Watkins talks about her highly popular hairstyle and what it means to her
USC Trojans star JuJu Watkins, fresh off a historic freshman season where she finished as the National Freshman of the Year, joined Kevin Hart on the "NBA Unplugged" broadcast of Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals between the Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers on Tuesday.
While discussing a multitude of topics, including the previous and upcoming seasons, role models and some breakdowns of the game on display, the conversation also turned to impact.
On the court, Watkins has been stellar on both ends of the court for the Trojans, tallying together an All-Pac-12 First team selection as well as a spot on the Pac-12 All-Defensive team. But, Hart believes that Watkins' impact transcends the court:
"Let's talk about the bun for a second, right? I mean it's a hairstyle that you just chose to play the game of basketball in. But, the hairstyle got some fame, it started to get notoriety, and they attached it to you to the point where commercials and things started to happen and it was the punchline for commercials.
"I mean at this point, I mentioned earlier, we're talking about influence, we're talking about things that you're bringing to the game but that people are holding on to. Everything becomes a style, everything becomes a takeaway. What is your feelings attached to the conversation attached to the JuJu bun?", Hart implored the young superstar.
(from 7:10 mark)
On her part, JuJu Watkins was unfazed, embracing the love that the hairstyle has received and the movement it has created among youngsters looking up to her. She also mentioned that the bun had a particular superstition involved in it as well:
"I mean I love it. I've been wearing the bun since like the seventh grade, so I mean to see little girls wearing it at the game, it means everything. But, yeah, I'm very superstitious about my hair so I have to wear a bun at all times. For each game, so it means a lot, it's very important for me," Watkins said.
The JuJu Watkins Bun Movement
The iconic bun that JuJu Watkins sports on the court caught everyone's eye immediately. So much so that textured haircare brand, Mielle Organics, made a deal with Watkins to sign her after A'Ja Wilson was already on board with the company.
Previously, the USC star has detailed the complex process behind getting her hairstyle just right and how much it means to her. In her breakout article by SLAM, the network's headline also kept the bun in mind: "You know the bun. Now know the story".