Why is Lindy Waters no longer wearing a headband?

The Oklahoma City Thunder inked Lindy Waters III to a two-year two-way contract last season after a fantastic stint with the OKC Blue at the NBA G-League winter showcase last December. Since then, he has played in 37 NBA games, 12 of them coming during the 2022-23 season. Still spending the majority of his time with the OKC Blue down in the G-League.

The sharpshooter from Oklahoma State, who grew up in Norman, Oklahoma, and played high school basketball with Atlanta Hawks star guard Trae Young, is living out every Oklahoman’s dream.

Oklahoma City Thunder two-way guard, Lindy Waters III, dropped 30 points in the NBA G-League and explained why he no longer is wearing a headband this season

On Tuesday, Oklahoma City basketball fans and media were treated to a doubleheader at the Paycom Center, which meant I spent 12 hours in the Paycom Center on Tuesday.

When I nestled in my seat at the scorers’ table to watch the OKC Blue take on the Rio Grande Valley Vipers on Tuesday, I had no idea what we would see.

With no OKC rookies playing as Ousmane Dieng who is out six weeks with a wrist injury, or Jaylin Williams who is filling in for the big league club after a slew of injuries to the Thunder center corp, and the Vipers not having rookie TyTy Washington, this seemed like it would be a mundane matinee.

However, the two teams played down to the wire with the Thunder edging out the Vipers, 122-117. Jalen Lecque (who was on the Thunder for less than 48 hours), dropped 30 points and ten assists with some sky-high rim-rattling dunks but could not keep pace with Lindy Waters III as the two-way guard dropped 30 points on just 15 shots, ten rebounds, and six assists to give the Blue the win.

I noticed, typically in the G-Leauge Waters III does not wear the headband accessory but usually has it on when he plays at the NBA level. So after the game, he came to the podium and was obviously in a jolly mood having just dominated a basketball game, which prompted me to take the chance to ask him if there was any reason for this phenomenon.

Lindy Waters III told me he has ditched the headband altogether, even at the NBA level now. The reason? “I thought it was squeezing my head too much.” Waters III explained. He went on to jokingly say the tightness did not allow him to let his thoughts free.

As Lindy Waters III frees his thoughts from the Nike cloth prison they were in, the has found success scoring the ball with a 30-point performance. Is there any correlation? Who knows, but it makes for a great story.

Oh, and if you are wondering what Lindy Waters III’s New Year’s Resolution is “Ball out.” So far, so good in 2023.