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Chris Gimenez said he has shaved his head almost daily since 2002.

(AP photo)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- As soon as the clock struck zero and LeBron James dropped to the hardwood, overcome with emotion, Michael Brantley delivered the text.

On Chris Gimenez's phone popped up a photo of a bald man, scratching his head with a look of confusion occupying his face. The picture represented Gimenez at that time: a bit flustered about how his beloved Golden State Warriors could fail to complete a series victory against the Cleveland Cavaliers, and also apprehensive about what the next month has in store for his bald dome.

Gimenez made a bet with one of the Indians' clubhouse attendants -- who shaves his head and avidly roots for the Cavs. Gimenez grew up about 45 minutes from Oakland. The agreement stipulated that the losing party could not shave his head for one month.

Gimenez hasn't seen his hair since 2002. At the time, he attended the University of Nevada-Reno and had just started dating his now-wife.

"It was not a good look," Gimenez said.

Now, he shaves his head each day when he gets to the ballpark.

When he strolled into the Indians' clubhouse on Monday afternoon, he noticed his shaving supplies were taped to the wall above his locker. Brantley was named as a prime suspect.

"I'm definitely going to be a hat guy for a while," Gimenez said. "I'm going to have to go buy a fedora or something."

His teammates can't wait to watch his hair grow, or at least to learn which parts of his head can actually sprout some locks.

"A lot of people are waiting to see what this thing grows into," Gimenez said.

He can shave again on July 20, a few days after the All-Star break.

"By then, it's going to look terrible," he said.

Gimenez would have preferred a Warriors win, but he admitted that he enjoyed watching Cleveland celebrate after 52 years without a major professional sports title of any kind. He watched the news for three hours after the conclusion of Game 7.

The Indians drafted Gimenez in 2004. He has spent the majority of his career in Cleveland's organization.

"I've been here for a long time," Gimenez said. "This city is very near and dear to my heart. I basically grew up here, from when I was 21 years old to now, when I'm 33. I've experienced some of the good and the bad. It's pretty neat to see what happened."

Gimenez's hair, on the other hand, might not be a pretty sight in a few weeks. He plans to stick to his word, though.

"I'm a man of my word," he said. "My word is my honor."