The Los Angeles Clippers surely wanted to get off to a fast start on Wednesday night at home against the rival Los Angeles Lakers.
Someone should’ve told Darius Garland. He was too busy tying his hair back.
A brutal turnover was just the start to a brutal night in a 103-87 loss for the Clippers.
And really, there was really no better way to sum it up than the first few seconds of the game.
What Was Darius Garland Doing?
Garland was positioned in his usual spot near his own defensive 3-point arc when the ball was tossed for the tip-off on Wednesday night.
Clippers center Isaiah Jackson leaped quicker and won the jump ball from the Lakers’ Walker Kessler. Jackson whacked the ball back behind him.
It was angled toward the sideline, but not so dramatically that someone wouldn’t be able to get it.
Well, that is, except that Garland was busy. Just before the ball was tossed, he was tying his hair back so that it was out of his face while he played.
Darius Garland didn’t get the opening tip because he was busy tying up his hair 😭
(h/t @MrBuckBuckNBA) https://t.co/DAjVGpzovi
— Fullcourtpass (@Fullcourtpass) October 29, 2026
You can watch that video at this link if it doesn’t display here.
It’s an odd tendency, but Garland waits to tie his hair until this moment pretty much every game.
He seems to have left it extra late in this scenario. It’s not clear whether he just remembered at the last second, or if he just assumed Kessler would win the jump ball.
Regardless of the reason, it wasn’t an ideal start.
The Lakers did then score on that very first possession when Matisse Thybulle drilled a 3-pointer assisted by Austin Reaves.
Did the whole game change on Garland’s hair-tying? Maybe not, but it didn’t set a good tone.
Darius Garland Stats
Garland ended up turning the ball over five times — and that wouldn’t count this ball that just bounded over the sideline without him tracking it down because he was otherwise occupied.
It was a rough night overall for Garland, who scored 14 points on just 4-for-12 shooting, including 1-for-3 from 3-point range. He did make all five of his free throw attempts, and Garland had five assists.
Still, Garland was a minus-11 in his time on the floor, the worst of any Clippers starter on this night.
It seems like a good lesson for young hoopers to learn — get your hair in order before it’s time to actually play the game.
Clippers’ Darius Garland Gave Ball Away While Tying His Hair