Thunder center Steven Adams grew a mustache just for his media guide picture (Photo)

Here is what Oklahoma City Thunder center Steven Adams looked like in mid-August:

Here is what the rising sophomore bruiser looks like now, as captured at Thunder Media Day on Monday afternoon:

Hmmm. Something's different. Can't quite put my finger on what, though. Maybe if I take a closer look.

Oh, right — the mustache. Pretty impressively '70sy, Mr. Adams. Very "Orange is the New Black," too, which is a bonus.

So to what do we owe the pleasure, Steven? And can we count on you hanging onto the flavor-saver throughout each of OKC's many high-definition, nationally televised tilts this season?

On one hand, it's a bummer that Adams won't be keeping his lipwarmer around for the duration of the 2014-15 season. On the other, it's pretty flippin' fantastic that he grew one in the first place for the express purpose of giving anyone who looks at the Thunder media guide a smile. It's like the old proverb says: "Don't cry because the mustache is over. Smile because the mustache happened."

It's also worth giving (theoretical) credit where it's (probably not) due. In this case, that means dapping up Royce Young of Daily Thunder:

Way to "The Secret" this one into the world, Royce. Bravo.

With that in place, then, I guess there's just one thing left to do: Compare Steven Adams' mustache to my own, as I did with Kevin Love lo those many moons ago.

So, 'stache-wise, who ya got? The first-round draftee likely to become the starting center on a title contender before too long? Or the hardscrabble, livin'-by-his-wits underdog from the mean streets of a nice neighborhood in Brooklyn? Let us know in the comments, and also, please, please pick me.

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Dan Devine is an editor for Ball Don't Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at devine@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter!

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