Al Horford doesn’t have any tattoos
Grantland posted a nice Q + A with Al Horford today which includes a question about tattoos:
I read that DeShawn Stevenson has Abe Lincoln tattooed on his neck, and Gilbert Arenas has MLK Jr. Who would you get?
I don’t have any tatts. If there’s something one day that catches my attention, I might consider it. But on my neck? I don’t know. I don’t like anybody that much.
Atlanta Hawks, 2012-13
Tattoo percentage: 80% (12 players with tattoos, 3 without)
With the additions of Anthony Morrow, DeShawn Stevenson, and Lou Williams, the Hawks tattoo percentage jumped far ahead of last year.
Players with tattoos:
Devin Harris
Harris has an elaborate design tattooed on his left arm. In an interview with The Guardian, Harris explained a bit about the tattoo: “That’s kind of my conscience. It’s just there with me, all the time. I wouldn’t say I designed it but I had a hand in it, me and the tattoo artist himself.”
John Jenkins
Jenkins has a tattoo on his chest, although the design is unknown.
Ivan Johnson
Rembert Browne of Grantland did a great service by transcribing large portions of a 2008 public radio interview with fan favorite Ivan Johnson. In a particularly emotional segment, Johnson describes his mother’s death and his ongoing connection to her:
I talk to her every day. Little stupid stuff I see in the streets. I laugh with her, talk with her, a pillow that she had in the house that she used to sleep on, I keep that with me all the time. Wherever I go, I keep her obituary with me, just so I can see her face, so I won’t forget how she looked. Before she passed, I got her face tattooed on me, so I’ll never forget how she looked. And that means so much to me.
Dahntay Jones
Jones has a number of tattoos across his arms and chest.
Kyle Korver
In 2006, Korver told Sports Illustrated that he promised his mother he’s wait until her death before getting a tattoo. In 2009, as reported by Omaha.com, he and his brother Kaleb got tattoos of their favorite bible verses. Kaleb remarked that their mother was “good with it” and that they’re trying to convince their other two brothers to join in.
Shelvin Mack
It’s difficult to make out the design (I think it’s a “laugh now/cry later”), but Mack has a tattoo on his left arm.
Johan Petro
Petro has tattoos on both arms.
Mike Scott
Rookie Scott came into the league with 13 tattoos, as described in a ESPN profile:
Scott has 13 tattoos (and counting), including the initials of his two little brothers, Antonn and Derrick, tattooed onto his wrists; his mother’s initials are tattooed on one side of his neck and his father’s tattooed onto the other side.
Josh Smith
Among Smith’s many tattoos is a throwback Hawks logo (circa 1972-1995) on his left arm.
DeShawn Stevenson
In a 2010 video interview, after pointing out his most recent tattoos—his wife’s name above his eyebrow, her initials behind his left ear, and his jersey number on his neck—Stevenson states, “my mom, she said no more tattoos on my face, so I got to listen to her.”
Jeff Teague
As soon as the 2011-12 season ended, Teague added a full sleeve to his left arm.
Lou Williams
Williams has the word “MOTIVATION” tattooed across his back. He explained the design of the tattoo for Urban Ink Magazine:
I designed the tattoo myself when I was 17. The idea came to me to get motivation across my back, and I wanted to spell it out for all the people that motivated me. So, what I did was, I wrote down all the names of family members and friends and all of the people that helped me along the way, and I just made it all intertwine, and it came out perfect. It was incredible how the words went together and everything. I was really motivated by my family and my friends, and the people that supported me from day one.
Players without tattoos:
Al Horford
Zaza Pachulia
Anthony Tolliver
Atlanta Hawks, 2011-12
Tattoo percentage: 53% (8 players with tattoos, 7 without)
The Hawks go pretty classic, with a lot of R.I.P. tattoos, hometown tributes, some nostalgia, and a DMX reference. They have fewer tattooed players than last year, but some pretty respectable numbers overall.
Players with tattoos:
Kirk Hinrich
Hinrich has a chain tattooed on his left wrist in honor of his late grandfather.
Ivan Johnson
Rem Browne of Grantland did a great service by transcribing large portions of a 2008 public radio interview with fan favorite Ivan Johnson. In a particularly emotional segment, Johnson describes his mother’s death and his ongoing connection to her:
I talk to her every day. Little stupid stuff I see in the streets. I laugh with her, talk with her, a pillow that she had in the house that she used to sleep on, I keep that with me all the time. Wherever I go, I keep her obituary with me, just so I can see her face, so I won’t forget how she looked. Before she passed, I got her face tattooed on me, so I’ll never forget how she looked. And that means so much to me.
Joe Johnson
Johnson has a tattoo on his wrist.
Tracy McGrady
McGrady, who has suffered a lot of criticism from announcers and analysts, has a response on his right shoulder, just below a speeding basketball and his nickname. Against a curled scroll, a poignant bit of scripture: “AND EVERY TONGUE THAT SHALL RISE UP AGAINST THEE IN JUDGEMENT SHALL BE COMDEMNED—ISAIAH 54:17.”
Josh Smith
Among Smith’s many tattoos is a throwback Hawks logo (circa 1972-1995) on his left arm.
Jerry Stackhouse
Stackhouse has tattoos on both arms and on his chest.
Jeff Teague
In October of 2011, Teague posted photos of his full sleeves on twitter, representing his hometown of Indiana with the 317 area code, an Interstate 465 sign, and a skyline.
Marvin Williams
Williams is a regular customer at Tattoos by Randy with tattoos on both arms and across his chest.
Players without tattoos:
Jason Collins
Erick Dampier
Willie Green
Al Horford
Zaza Pachulia
Jannero Pargo
Vladimir Radmanovic
Atlanta Hawks 2010-2011
Tattoo percentage: 64% (9 players with tattoos, 5 without)
I didn’t watch the Hawks enough this year to get a good sense of their character. That fight between Marvin Williams and Shawne Williams (of the Knicks) in January was the most memorable event, followed by the little rivalry between Amar’e Stoudemire and Al Horford that took place entirely in the press and was put to rest when the Knicks won their next two match-ups. I guess the lesson is you shouldn’t trust dudes with Marvin the Martian tattoos?
—
Players with tattoos:
Hilton Armstrong
The website UCONN Hoop Legends reports that Armstrong was so proud of his contributions to the 2004 Huskies NCAA championship that, “he had a tattoo of the ring put on his arm.” Sadly, they leave out the details of the design, in which the ring is raised by a kneeling figure who stands no taller than the ring itself.
Jamal Crawford
Players from Seattle tend to have a lot of tattoos (Nate Robinson, Jason Terry, Terrence Williams) and Crawford is one of the heaviest. On his left shoulder is one of the dreamiest basketball-themed tattoos in the league: against a background of heavenly clouds, a hoop glows, with “Jamal” lettered across the backboard in Olde English.
Kirk Hinrich
Has a chain tattooed on his left wrist in honor of his deceased grandfather.
Joe Johnson
Jackson has his mother’s name and an outline of the state of Arkansas (his birthplace) tattooed on his wrists.
Josh Powell
Has a tribute to his deceased son on his back.
Josh Smith
Smith turned 13 years old in 1998, so it’s no wonder that DMX’s Flesh of My Flesh Blood of My Blood had a massive impact on him, enough to inspire the tattoo on his collar.
Jeff Teague
Has tattoos on both arms.
Damien Wilkins
Lightly tattooed on both shoulders.
Marvin Williams
Another heavily-tattooed player raised in Seattle, Wiliams got his first tattoo in high school: Marvin the Martian. Since that time has added many tattoos, including his mother’s name, the letters GBMS (“God Bless My Success”) and the words “Heart of a Lion” across his shoulders.
Players without tattoos:
Jason Collins
Al Horford
Zaza Pachulia
Pape Sy
Etan Thomas
Al Horford doesn’t have any tattoos
Grantland posted a nice Q + A with Al Horford today which includes a question about tattoos:
I read that DeShawn Stevenson has Abe Lincoln tattooed on his neck, and Gilbert Arenas has MLK Jr. Who would you get?
I don’t have any tatts. If there’s something one day that catches my attention, I might consider it. But on my neck? I don’t know. I don’t like anybody that much.
Atlanta Hawks, 2012-13
Tattoo percentage: 80% (12 players with tattoos, 3 without)
With the additions of Anthony Morrow, DeShawn Stevenson, and Lou Williams, the Hawks tattoo percentage jumped far ahead of last year.
Players with tattoos:
Devin Harris
Harris has an elaborate design tattooed on his left arm. In an interview with The Guardian, Harris explained a bit about the tattoo: “That’s kind of my conscience. It’s just there with me, all the time. I wouldn’t say I designed it but I had a hand in it, me and the tattoo artist himself.”
John Jenkins
Jenkins has a tattoo on his chest, although the design is unknown.
Ivan Johnson
Rembert Browne of Grantland did a great service by transcribing large portions of a 2008 public radio interview with fan favorite Ivan Johnson. In a particularly emotional segment, Johnson describes his mother’s death and his ongoing connection to her:
I talk to her every day. Little stupid stuff I see in the streets. I laugh with her, talk with her, a pillow that she had in the house that she used to sleep on, I keep that with me all the time. Wherever I go, I keep her obituary with me, just so I can see her face, so I won’t forget how she looked. Before she passed, I got her face tattooed on me, so I’ll never forget how she looked. And that means so much to me.
Dahntay Jones
Jones has a number of tattoos across his arms and chest.
Kyle Korver
In 2006, Korver told Sports Illustrated that he promised his mother he’s wait until her death before getting a tattoo. In 2009, as reported by Omaha.com, he and his brother Kaleb got tattoos of their favorite bible verses. Kaleb remarked that their mother was “good with it” and that they’re trying to convince their other two brothers to join in.
Shelvin Mack
It’s difficult to make out the design (I think it’s a “laugh now/cry later”), but Mack has a tattoo on his left arm.
Johan Petro
Petro has tattoos on both arms.
Mike Scott
Rookie Scott came into the league with 13 tattoos, as described in a ESPN profile:
Scott has 13 tattoos (and counting), including the initials of his two little brothers, Antonn and Derrick, tattooed onto his wrists; his mother’s initials are tattooed on one side of his neck and his father’s tattooed onto the other side.
Josh Smith
Among Smith’s many tattoos is a throwback Hawks logo (circa 1972-1995) on his left arm.
DeShawn Stevenson
In a 2010 video interview, after pointing out his most recent tattoos—his wife’s name above his eyebrow, her initials behind his left ear, and his jersey number on his neck—Stevenson states, “my mom, she said no more tattoos on my face, so I got to listen to her.”
Jeff Teague
As soon as the 2011-12 season ended, Teague added a full sleeve to his left arm.
Lou Williams
Williams has the word “MOTIVATION” tattooed across his back. He explained the design of the tattoo for Urban Ink Magazine:
I designed the tattoo myself when I was 17. The idea came to me to get motivation across my back, and I wanted to spell it out for all the people that motivated me. So, what I did was, I wrote down all the names of family members and friends and all of the people that helped me along the way, and I just made it all intertwine, and it came out perfect. It was incredible how the words went together and everything. I was really motivated by my family and my friends, and the people that supported me from day one.
Players without tattoos:
Al Horford
Zaza Pachulia
Anthony Tolliver
Atlanta Hawks, 2011-12
Tattoo percentage: 53% (8 players with tattoos, 7 without)
The Hawks go pretty classic, with a lot of R.I.P. tattoos, hometown tributes, some nostalgia, and a DMX reference. They have fewer tattooed players than last year, but some pretty respectable numbers overall.
Players with tattoos:
Kirk Hinrich
Hinrich has a chain tattooed on his left wrist in honor of his late grandfather.
Ivan Johnson
Rem Browne of Grantland did a great service by transcribing large portions of a 2008 public radio interview with fan favorite Ivan Johnson. In a particularly emotional segment, Johnson describes his mother’s death and his ongoing connection to her:
I talk to her every day. Little stupid stuff I see in the streets. I laugh with her, talk with her, a pillow that she had in the house that she used to sleep on, I keep that with me all the time. Wherever I go, I keep her obituary with me, just so I can see her face, so I won’t forget how she looked. Before she passed, I got her face tattooed on me, so I’ll never forget how she looked. And that means so much to me.
Joe Johnson
Johnson has a tattoo on his wrist.
Tracy McGrady
McGrady, who has suffered a lot of criticism from announcers and analysts, has a response on his right shoulder, just below a speeding basketball and his nickname. Against a curled scroll, a poignant bit of scripture: “AND EVERY TONGUE THAT SHALL RISE UP AGAINST THEE IN JUDGEMENT SHALL BE COMDEMNED—ISAIAH 54:17.”
Josh Smith
Among Smith’s many tattoos is a throwback Hawks logo (circa 1972-1995) on his left arm.
Jerry Stackhouse
Stackhouse has tattoos on both arms and on his chest.
Jeff Teague
In October of 2011, Teague posted photos of his full sleeves on twitter, representing his hometown of Indiana with the 317 area code, an Interstate 465 sign, and a skyline.
Marvin Williams
Williams is a regular customer at Tattoos by Randy with tattoos on both arms and across his chest.
Players without tattoos:
Jason Collins
Erick Dampier
Willie Green
Al Horford
Zaza Pachulia
Jannero Pargo
Vladimir Radmanovic
Atlanta Hawks 2010-2011
Tattoo percentage: 64% (9 players with tattoos, 5 without)
I didn’t watch the Hawks enough this year to get a good sense of their character. That fight between Marvin Williams and Shawne Williams (of the Knicks) in January was the most memorable event, followed by the little rivalry between Amar’e Stoudemire and Al Horford that took place entirely in the press and was put to rest when the Knicks won their next two match-ups. I guess the lesson is you shouldn’t trust dudes with Marvin the Martian tattoos?
—
Players with tattoos:
Hilton Armstrong
The website UCONN Hoop Legends reports that Armstrong was so proud of his contributions to the 2004 Huskies NCAA championship that, “he had a tattoo of the ring put on his arm.” Sadly, they leave out the details of the design, in which the ring is raised by a kneeling figure who stands no taller than the ring itself.
Jamal Crawford
Players from Seattle tend to have a lot of tattoos (Nate Robinson, Jason Terry, Terrence Williams) and Crawford is one of the heaviest. On his left shoulder is one of the dreamiest basketball-themed tattoos in the league: against a background of heavenly clouds, a hoop glows, with “Jamal” lettered across the backboard in Olde English.
Kirk Hinrich
Has a chain tattooed on his left wrist in honor of his deceased grandfather.
Joe Johnson
Jackson has his mother’s name and an outline of the state of Arkansas (his birthplace) tattooed on his wrists.
Josh Powell
Has a tribute to his deceased son on his back.
Josh Smith
Smith turned 13 years old in 1998, so it’s no wonder that DMX’s Flesh of My Flesh Blood of My Blood had a massive impact on him, enough to inspire the tattoo on his collar.
Jeff Teague
Has tattoos on both arms.
Damien Wilkins
Lightly tattooed on both shoulders.
Marvin Williams
Another heavily-tattooed player raised in Seattle, Wiliams got his first tattoo in high school: Marvin the Martian. Since that time has added many tattoos, including his mother’s name, the letters GBMS (“God Bless My Success”) and the words “Heart of a Lion” across his shoulders.
Players without tattoos:
Jason Collins
Al Horford
Zaza Pachulia
Pape Sy
Etan Thomas
