Powell Gets Comfortable in His Own Skin

For years it was easier for Dwight Powell to hide it. A simple t-shirt under his jersey did the trick. But as time went on and he worked toward the NBA, he knew he couldn’t spend his career covering up something he didn’t have the ability to change.

Growing up Powell didn’t think much of the nickel-sized mark on his left shoulder; it had been there for as long as he could remember. Eventually, he thought it looked “weird” and brought it to his doctor’s attention in his early teenage years. The doctor decided to remove a sample.

The tests came back clear from major health concerns. As the excision healed, however, the mark began to expand on his shoulder. Doctors determined Powell had keloids, extra growths of scar tissue. Keloids run in his maternal side of the family.

“It overgrew,” Powell told Basketball Insiders. “They said, ‘We can do it again, but chances are it’s going to keep getting bigger and bigger every time we do it, especially because of the location.’ So they left it.”

The scarring was pronounced and rigid at first, making it hard to conceal. It sparked curiosity and prompted questions from his peers when Powell was younger.

“In the summertime when you go swimming people always ask, ‘What happened to your back? Did you get stabbed?’ Stuff like that,” the Boston Celtics big man said. “You sometimes explain it; sometimes you just let it go.”

Wearing a basketball jersey also presented new challenges for Powell. He began layering his uniform to avoid comments and prevent further scarring. His ultimate goal was to wear an NBA jersey, though, and he had to become comfortable.

“At first I was really self-conscious about it,” he said. “I just wore a t-shirt under my jersey when I was in high school. One, I didn’t want to get it scratched. Two, it was just awkward. Then I guess I just said, ‘I’m going to play basketball. I need to be comfortable. I can’t let aesthetics affect my performance.’ The t-shirt was getting uncomfortable so I forced myself to get over it.”

Powell learned to adapt. The mark stretched and flattened as he grew into his 6’11” frame. It is still visible underneath his uniform, but it doesn’t faze him anymore.

He also stays away from things that could cause further scarring. For that reason, he has never had a piercing or tattoo.

While Powell has had nearly 10 years to become accustomed to his skin condition, he knows there are others who may not be as comfortable. He encourages other people not to get deterred from something they enjoy doing because of a physical mark.

“It’s part of who you are, so you should never be ashamed of anything that you are,” he said. “It’s not your fault that you have keloid skin. I think everybody’s different in their own way…Obviously you have to get comfortable with it, so if you feel uncomfortable that’s totally fine and totally normal. But at the same time, you should try to get more and more comfortable with it as you get older.”