Mike Woodson paid up.

The Hawks coach showed up for work Friday morning without a strand of hair on his head, the result of a year-old bet with his team that he would shave his head if they made it to the playoffs.

(ENLARGE)

Mike Woodson used to have hair, before the Hawks made the playoffs for the first time in nine years.

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His players partied, too, at his expense.

Hawks captain and All-Star Joe Johnson is the one who taped the picture of Mr. Potato Head to a wall on the practice court before they started Friday morning's workout. And the jokes flowed freely the rest of the day.

"Other than the glare I felt like it didn't look that bad," Josh Childress said, "I expected a lot worse. Once his head tones down in the shiny department, I feel like it will look fine ... he made a promise and he kept it."

Woodson handled the shedding of his baby 'fro with a healthy sense of humor, taking his ribbing in stride during and after practice. And he even tried to include Hawks vice president for public relations Arthur Triche in on the fun, grabbing Triche and posing for a picture.

"Don't we look alike," Woodson said, leaning his bald head into Triche's bald head.

Woodson said he might even keep the new look the duration of the Hawks' first-round playoff series against Boston, which kicks off Sunday night in Boston.

"I made the bet with these guys a year ago," Woodson said. "And I'll do anything to make the playoffs to give our organization and our team a chance to play for a championship. But you've got to get their first."