ATLANTA – This was one cut that shocked the Knicks. Hipster no more, Lou Amundson’s trademark ponytail has been shorn.
When reporters walked into Knicks shootaround at Philips Arena on Tuesday, at first glance it looked like the club had just signed a new big man sporting a crew cut.
But it was the formerly long-haired Amundson, hoisting jumpers with a hairstyle he hadn’t worn since his freshman year at UNLV. Amundson got the buzzcut at the Knicks training facility Monday before the team boarded a flight to Atlanta.
“It was fun to get reactions from my teammates,’’ Amundson said. “It’s fun to see if people recognize me or not. They were a little shocked, in disbelief: ‘Why’d I do that?’”
Actor Ben Stiller even tweeted his mock outrage.
So why, Lou?
“I don’t know how deep you want me to get — just a change,’’ said Amundson, the gritty center who has played in just 13 of the Knicks’ 35 games. “Change is good. I feel good. I had this haircut freshman year in college. It reminds me of those days when I look in the mirror.
“Being defined by a look, it’s not what it’s about,’’ Amundson added. “It’s what I have inside.’’
Exactly one year ago, the Knicks obtained Amundson from Cleveland during Phil Jackson’s fire sale. The Knicks, his 11th NBA team, waived Amundson’s non-guaranteed deal, so they could sign him to a series of 10-day contracts. And the player who defines journeyman is still here, signing in July his first fully guaranteed pact.
“I feel way more athletic and faster and jumping higher,’’ Amundson joked.