The Houston braider behind the NBA's best hair
Sandra Finn (@sandrasbraids) is the Braid Artist PEOPLE credited for Josh Hart's Larry O'Brien Trophy braids on Knicks Ring Night. Her Instagram has more than 124,000 followers and over 900 posts of stitch braids, straight backs and custom men's designs. The national spotlight is new. The work behind it is not. Finn has been braiding NBA heads in Houston for about a decade, and her path is a useful map for any Braid Artist who wants a bigger book.
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Video: @sandrasbraids on Instagram
From a Houston barbershop to the Rockets
In April 2018, ABC13 profiled Finn as the woman behind the braids of Houston Rockets guard Gerald Green. At the time she worked out of Current Cuts, a barbershop in northeast Houston, and had 14 years of experience. She had braided Green for two years, starting during his season with a previous team.
Green wore his hometown on his head. Finn braided a big "R" during the Rockets' playoff run and a star for the Astros, and Green also asked for Astros and Oilers designs. Click2Houston reported in May 2018 that Green came to her every 7 to 10 days, and that she went to the Toyota Center, where the Rockets play, to braid him. Both stations noted she wanted to braid the championship trophy into his hair if the Rockets reached the Finals.
The coverage also showed her pricing at the time. ABC13 reported $75 for a design in the shop and $200 or more for freelance jobs. She also told Click2Houston she expected customers to come in asking for the Rockets in their heads. One visible client was already filling her chair.
The Knicks connection
Green's look traveled. Essence reports that Josh Hart first saw the taper fade with stylized braids on top on Green, and that Hart's NY and NYK logo style started with Finn, his Houston stylist. Hart splits his time between Texas and New York, so he also works with Shanna Alexander in New York, who added the NYK logo for the 2026 Finals.
On October 20, 2026, Finn braided the trophy into Hart's hair for the Knicks' ring ceremony and season opener against the 76ers. It was the design she had hoped to do for Green eight years earlier. In June, she told The New York Times that working with athletes like Hart is unique because the hairstyle is part of their personal brand, as PEOPLE reported. She said the pressure to execute is real, and the reward is showing braiding as art on a larger stage.
How she runs the business
- Credentials up front. Her bio lists her as an AMCA- and USTI-certified hair loss practitioner and clinical trichologist. Scalp health is part of her pitch.
- Booking is one tap. Her bio links straight to her Booksy page, and her posts tell clients which service to book.
- She posts the process and tags everyone. The trophy reel tags Hart, the NBA and ESPN. His barber reposted and credited her, which doubles the reach.
- Athletes are a brand partnership. She has said that for athletes, the hairstyle is part of their personal brand.
Why the scalp credential matters
Trichology is the study of the hair and scalp. A trichology or hair loss certification is not a medical license, and a trichologist does not diagnose disease. What it does give a Braid Artist is training to spot problems early, like thinning edges, irritation or breakage, and to know when to send a client to a dermatologist.
That matters in braiding. Tight, repeated styles can stress the hairline over time. A client who sees scalp health named in a bio knows the artist will look at more than the finished part lines. For athletes who get rebraided every week or two, as Green did, that trust is a big part of why they keep coming back.
How athlete work builds a book
Finn's story shows a pattern any Braid Artist can study:
- Consistency first. Green came back on a steady schedule for years. A regular client with a public life puts your work in front of a crowd every week.
- Local pride sells. Rockets, Astros and Oilers designs connected her work to what the whole city cared about. Fans then asked for the same thing.
- Go where the client is. Braiding at the arena carried a higher price, and it fit a player's schedule.
- Relationships travel. Her design style moved from Green to Hart, and Hart brought it to New York.
- Credit is currency. When the barber, the player and the media all name you, new clients can find you.
THE BRAIDINGFEST ANGLE
You don't need an NBA client to run your page like this. You need clear services, an easy booking link and a habit of tagging the people in the room.
- Name your services clearly and point every post to one of them.
- Put your booking link and your credentials in your bio.
- Tag the client, the event and anyone who worked on the look.
- Treat custom design work as a premium, portfolio-building service.
- Build designs around your city's teams and events. Local pride books chairs.
- Learn the scalp side. Training in hair and scalp health gives clients one more reason to trust you.
Sources: PEOPLE via Yahoo Sports · ABC13 · Click2Houston · Essence
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