Gigi Datome played two uneventful seasons in the NBA, scoring combined 188 points with the Detroit Pistons and the Boston Celtics from 2013 to 2015. Once, when put into the starting lineup for Boston at the end of the season, he did drop 22 in a game. Still, you probably have a better chance remembering him for his distinctive manbun-and-beard combination than anything he actually did on a basketball court.
A former NBA player got a lightning bolt cut. Now he and J.K. Rowling are friends.
Yer a wizard, Datome!
Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
After Boston, the Italian-born Datome returned to Europe, where he now starts for Fenerbahce, a top EuroLeague team based in Turkey. (Also starting for Fenerbahce: Jan Vesely and Ekpe Udoh, two failed NBA lottery picks turned successful overseas players.)
A few days ago in a game, this happened to Datome’s forehead.
THAT’S LITERALLY THE HARRY POTTER SCAR!?
Datome is a Harry Potter fan — a “childhood idol” even — and he saw a chance to capitalize on this magical moment.
Datome’s fans — he has 145,000 followers — jumped on his request, tweeting the photo of his scar and tagging @jk_rowling. Rowling must get hundreds or even thousands of tweets mentioning her each day, but Datome figured she would reply if there were enough of them.
Thanks to the supernatural nature of Twitter, it worked.
Now, Datome is one of the 462 people that Rowling follows on Twitter.
Top that, Daniel Radcliffe.
