Golden State Warriors, 2012-13
Tattoo percentage: 53% (8 players with tattoos, 7 without)
The Warriors saw their tattoo percentage drop significantly from last year.
Players with tattoos:
Kent Bazemore
Bazemore has tattoos on both arms.
Andrew Bogut
Bogut described the design of his back tattoo in an NBA.com chat. “The tattoo is a mix of things, a lot of it is kind of personal, there’s some Australian stuff and also some Croatian stuff in it.”
Stephen Curry
A Sports Illustrated profile in 2009 described Curry’s minimal tattoo: “His lone tattoo, discreetly inked on the inside of his left wrist, is the motto of Davidson, the small college he guided to the Elite Eight in 2008. “T.C.C.”: Trust, Commitment, Care.”
Draymond Green
Green has tattoos on both arms.
Richard Jefferson
One of the most universally derided tattoos in the league, Jefferson’s left shoulder is marked with his initials, which are circled with some cursive text reading “God Family Brothers Parents.”
Dwayne Jones
Jones has tattoos on both arms.
David Lee
Lee has his initials tattooed over his right shoulder blade.
Brandon Rush
My heart goes out to Rush, who missed the 2012-13 season with a torn ACL. He used some of his time off to get a tattoo in March of this year.
Players without tattoos:
Harrison Barnes
Andris Biedrins
Festus Ezeli
Jarrett Jack
Carl Landry
Scott Machado
Klay Thompson
Golden State Warriors, 2011-12
Tattoo percentage: 79% (11 players with tattoos, 3 without)
The Warriors’ tattoo percentage went up a bunch from last year. I am having a tough time with the Ellis/Bogut trade.
Players with tattoos:
Keith Benson
An Oakland Post report printed during Benson’s years with Oakland University describes the tattoos on both of his arms. On one arm is his nickname, “Kito” tattooed inside a basketball hoop. On the other, Benson has the words “killa instinct” which he describes as being about basketball: “You have to have the ‘killa instinct’ to defeat your opponent, not just play to play,” Benson said. “You have to cut them off and win.”
Andrew Bogut
Bogut has a tattoo on his back but he’s not really willing to discuss it. “The tattoo is a mix of things, a lot of it is kind of personal,” he explained in an NBA.com chat. “There’s some Australian stuff and also some Croatian stuff in it.”
Stephen Curry
A Sports Illustrated profile in 2009 described Curry’s minimal tattoo: “His lone tattoo, discreetly inked on the inside of his left wrist, is the motto of Davidson, the small college he guided to the Elite Eight in 2008. “T.C.C.”: Trust, Commitment, Care.”
Mickell Gladness
Gladness has a full sleeve on his left arm.
Richard Jefferson
One of the most universally derided tattoos in the league, Jefferson’s left shoulder is marked with his initials, which are circled with some cursive text reading “God Family Brothers Parents.” But like elementary school cursive, not the script that most tattoos tend towards. Also the white space in the letter R is a basketball. Looks a lot like it was drawn for/by a child.
David Lee
Lee has his initials tattooed over his right shoulder blade.
Dominic McGuire
The tattoo on McGuire’s right shoulder, of a child holding out its open hands, is one of my all time favorites. Somebody please interview him and ask him what it’s about!
Nate Robinson
Another heavily tattooed Seattle native, Robinson is likely one of the most tattooed in the league, which makes sense, given how early he started: “I was thirteen when I got my first tattoo, and it was the Iverson bulldog because Iverson had it. It says Mr. Robinson at the bottom.”
Brandon Rush
In November of 2011, Native Ink tattoo posted a photo of a design done for Rush that reads “Truly Blessed” in a really strong script.
Jeremy Tyler
Tyler infamously dropped out of high school to play professional basketball in Israel at the age of 17. During his season with the Maccabi Haifa Heat, Howard Schneider profiled Tyler for the Washington Post, opening the article with a description of the many tattoos Tyler had collected while abroad:
Jeremy Tyler displays his life in tattoos. The “S” and “D” on the 18-year-old’s hands are his roots in San Diego, where he sacrificed a high school diploma for professional basketball. The dreamy Virgo design draping down the left shoulder of his 6-foot-11, 260-pound body, encompassing the names of relatives and a basketball, are his aspiration to support his family through his craft. There is a spot for his girlfriend’s name, the initials of a recently deceased friend, and angel wings on his back
Dorell Wright
In 2009, tattoo artist Raphael Gere Rodriguez posted photos of the “love hate skull” design he did for Wright. I didn’t even know “love hate skull” was a thing.
Players without tattoos:
Andris Biedrins
Charles Jenkins: Henry Abbott reported for ESPN that Jenkins was asked why he didn’t have any tattoos, to which he replied, “You ever see a bumper sticker on a Maybach?”
Klay Thompson
No longer on roster:
Chris Wright: no tattoos
Asia/Australia
At the end of the 2010-11 regular season, there were 433 players in the NBA. 345 of these players are United States citizens, the other 88 represent 39 countries spread across 6 continents. Arranged by oversimplified regional groupings, the next few posts will examine tattoos geographically, continuing now with Asia and Australia. To view other regions, click HERE for Africa, HERE for Western Europe, HERE for Eastern Europe, and HERE for the Americas.
This is where my region naming gets dicey. There is a pretty big gap between Andrew Bogut and Yao Ming and the 5000 miles between Melbourne and Shanghai doesn’t really make a case for the grouping either. But considering China’s two players, both without tattoos, and Australia’s three players, only one of whom has a tattoo, it would just be a waste of time to break it into two posts.
Australia
Tattoo percentage: 33% (1 player with tattoos, 2 without)
China
Tattoo percentage: 0% (0 players with tattoos, 2 without)
Milwaukee Bucks, 2010-11
Tattoo percentage: 71% (10 with tattoos, 4 without)
The Bucks have had a tough time establishing an identity over the last few decades, with their marquee players falling to injury and many seasons passing without much note. In the last year this “fear the deer” movement has started though, and fittingly, the Bucks have assembled a bunch of oddballs and unpredictable players who can embrace both the silliness and the necessity of the slogan. Their tattoos follow suit.
—
Players with tattoos:
Andrew Bogut
Bogut has a tattoo on his back but he’s not really willing to discuss it: “The tattoo is a mix of things, a lot of it is kind of personal,” he explained one one of those NBA.com player chats, “There’s some Australian stuff and also some Croatian stuff in it.” Which is hilarious considering all of the topics he is willing to open his big mouth about.
Jon Brockman
As a teenager, Brockman got a tattoo of the tree of life on his lower back, as did his older brother and sister. “My mom doesn’t like it at all,” he explained to the Seattle Times in 2008, “Neither does my dad. But it’s in a place where no one sees it. It’s something close to me and it reminds me of my brother and sister when I don’t get to see them for a long time. So I like it.”
Carlos Delfino
Delfino sports a dragon on his left shoulder.
Keyon Dooling
On Dooling’s left shoulder is a tattoo of a cross.
Chris Douglas-Roberts
Douglas Roberts is great at twitter, his steady feed a mixture of funny observations, style tips, and hurting feelings. Given his many tattoos, a fan recently asked him for his advice, and CDR replied: “get somem original….& Them shits hurt really bad.”
Drew Gooden
Gooden has historically put a lot of effort into unconventional looks, such as this haircut or this beard. A 2007 Akron Beacon-Journal article focuses in on Gooden’s then-recent tattoo, his first new design since he was 15 years old. The article reports that the tattoo is Dali-like, featuring a melting clock, set to 11:11 for good luck. At opposite sides of the clock a pair of angels and a devil observe time, completing this fittingly outlandish design for Gooden. Still, nothing really beats actually seeing it.
Brandon Jennings
During Jennings’ rookie year, he answered questions for a Hoops Hype interview, including one about his many tattoos: “On my right arm, it’s laugh now, cry later. It’s for all the haters who said I would never make it in life. And there’s a man holding a ball with a city behind him, which is basically me holding a basketball with my city behind me. On the left one, it’s my mom (Alice Knox) and my brother (Terrence). It shows I’m blessed.”
Corey Maggette
Maggette has a tattoo on his right shoulder.
John Salmons
Salmons has Chinese characters on his right arm. According to the website NiuBBall.com, it’s identical to Jermaine O’Neal’s Chinese tattoo, and means “person who sells coffins.”
Larry Sanders
Maybe ten years ago someone I knew had to spend some time in prison. He wasn’t exactly a tough guy, so before he went in he decided to get a tattoo that might make him look hard enough that he could avoid fights. He had two full-size pistols tattooed on his waistline, so it looked like the guns were tucked into his pants. It was an intense decision, and one that only half worked.
I’d never seen anyone else with the design until Sanders was drafted by the Bucks and this photo appeared on his twitter page.
Players without tattoos:
Earl Boykins
Ersan Ilyasova
Luc Mbah a Moute
Michael Redd
Golden State Warriors, 2012-13
Tattoo percentage: 53% (8 players with tattoos, 7 without)
The Warriors saw their tattoo percentage drop significantly from last year.
Players with tattoos:
Kent Bazemore
Bazemore has tattoos on both arms.
Andrew Bogut
Bogut described the design of his back tattoo in an NBA.com chat. “The tattoo is a mix of things, a lot of it is kind of personal, there’s some Australian stuff and also some Croatian stuff in it.”
Stephen Curry
A Sports Illustrated profile in 2009 described Curry’s minimal tattoo: “His lone tattoo, discreetly inked on the inside of his left wrist, is the motto of Davidson, the small college he guided to the Elite Eight in 2008. “T.C.C.”: Trust, Commitment, Care.”
Draymond Green
Green has tattoos on both arms.
Richard Jefferson
One of the most universally derided tattoos in the league, Jefferson’s left shoulder is marked with his initials, which are circled with some cursive text reading “God Family Brothers Parents.”
Dwayne Jones
Jones has tattoos on both arms.
David Lee
Lee has his initials tattooed over his right shoulder blade.
Brandon Rush
My heart goes out to Rush, who missed the 2012-13 season with a torn ACL. He used some of his time off to get a tattoo in March of this year.
Players without tattoos:
Harrison Barnes
Andris Biedrins
Festus Ezeli
Jarrett Jack
Carl Landry
Scott Machado
Klay Thompson
Golden State Warriors, 2011-12
Tattoo percentage: 79% (11 players with tattoos, 3 without)
The Warriors’ tattoo percentage went up a bunch from last year. I am having a tough time with the Ellis/Bogut trade.
Players with tattoos:
Keith Benson
An Oakland Post report printed during Benson’s years with Oakland University describes the tattoos on both of his arms. On one arm is his nickname, “Kito” tattooed inside a basketball hoop. On the other, Benson has the words “killa instinct” which he describes as being about basketball: “You have to have the ‘killa instinct’ to defeat your opponent, not just play to play,” Benson said. “You have to cut them off and win.”
Andrew Bogut
Bogut has a tattoo on his back but he’s not really willing to discuss it. “The tattoo is a mix of things, a lot of it is kind of personal,” he explained in an NBA.com chat. “There’s some Australian stuff and also some Croatian stuff in it.”
Stephen Curry
A Sports Illustrated profile in 2009 described Curry’s minimal tattoo: “His lone tattoo, discreetly inked on the inside of his left wrist, is the motto of Davidson, the small college he guided to the Elite Eight in 2008. “T.C.C.”: Trust, Commitment, Care.”
Mickell Gladness
Gladness has a full sleeve on his left arm.
Richard Jefferson
One of the most universally derided tattoos in the league, Jefferson’s left shoulder is marked with his initials, which are circled with some cursive text reading “God Family Brothers Parents.” But like elementary school cursive, not the script that most tattoos tend towards. Also the white space in the letter R is a basketball. Looks a lot like it was drawn for/by a child.
David Lee
Lee has his initials tattooed over his right shoulder blade.
Dominic McGuire
The tattoo on McGuire’s right shoulder, of a child holding out its open hands, is one of my all time favorites. Somebody please interview him and ask him what it’s about!
Nate Robinson
Another heavily tattooed Seattle native, Robinson is likely one of the most tattooed in the league, which makes sense, given how early he started: “I was thirteen when I got my first tattoo, and it was the Iverson bulldog because Iverson had it. It says Mr. Robinson at the bottom.”
Brandon Rush
In November of 2011, Native Ink tattoo posted a photo of a design done for Rush that reads “Truly Blessed” in a really strong script.
Jeremy Tyler
Tyler infamously dropped out of high school to play professional basketball in Israel at the age of 17. During his season with the Maccabi Haifa Heat, Howard Schneider profiled Tyler for the Washington Post, opening the article with a description of the many tattoos Tyler had collected while abroad:
Jeremy Tyler displays his life in tattoos. The “S” and “D” on the 18-year-old’s hands are his roots in San Diego, where he sacrificed a high school diploma for professional basketball. The dreamy Virgo design draping down the left shoulder of his 6-foot-11, 260-pound body, encompassing the names of relatives and a basketball, are his aspiration to support his family through his craft. There is a spot for his girlfriend’s name, the initials of a recently deceased friend, and angel wings on his back
Dorell Wright
In 2009, tattoo artist Raphael Gere Rodriguez posted photos of the “love hate skull” design he did for Wright. I didn’t even know “love hate skull” was a thing.
Players without tattoos:
Andris Biedrins
Charles Jenkins: Henry Abbott reported for ESPN that Jenkins was asked why he didn’t have any tattoos, to which he replied, “You ever see a bumper sticker on a Maybach?”
Klay Thompson
No longer on roster:
Chris Wright: no tattoos
Asia/Australia
At the end of the 2010-11 regular season, there were 433 players in the NBA. 345 of these players are United States citizens, the other 88 represent 39 countries spread across 6 continents. Arranged by oversimplified regional groupings, the next few posts will examine tattoos geographically, continuing now with Asia and Australia. To view other regions, click HERE for Africa, HERE for Western Europe, HERE for Eastern Europe, and HERE for the Americas.
This is where my region naming gets dicey. There is a pretty big gap between Andrew Bogut and Yao Ming and the 5000 miles between Melbourne and Shanghai doesn’t really make a case for the grouping either. But considering China’s two players, both without tattoos, and Australia’s three players, only one of whom has a tattoo, it would just be a waste of time to break it into two posts.
Australia
Tattoo percentage: 33% (1 player with tattoos, 2 without)
China
Tattoo percentage: 0% (0 players with tattoos, 2 without)
Milwaukee Bucks, 2010-11
Tattoo percentage: 71% (10 with tattoos, 4 without)
The Bucks have had a tough time establishing an identity over the last few decades, with their marquee players falling to injury and many seasons passing without much note. In the last year this “fear the deer” movement has started though, and fittingly, the Bucks have assembled a bunch of oddballs and unpredictable players who can embrace both the silliness and the necessity of the slogan. Their tattoos follow suit.
—
Players with tattoos:
Andrew Bogut
Bogut has a tattoo on his back but he’s not really willing to discuss it: “The tattoo is a mix of things, a lot of it is kind of personal,” he explained one one of those NBA.com player chats, “There’s some Australian stuff and also some Croatian stuff in it.” Which is hilarious considering all of the topics he is willing to open his big mouth about.
Jon Brockman
As a teenager, Brockman got a tattoo of the tree of life on his lower back, as did his older brother and sister. “My mom doesn’t like it at all,” he explained to the Seattle Times in 2008, “Neither does my dad. But it’s in a place where no one sees it. It’s something close to me and it reminds me of my brother and sister when I don’t get to see them for a long time. So I like it.”
Carlos Delfino
Delfino sports a dragon on his left shoulder.
Keyon Dooling
On Dooling’s left shoulder is a tattoo of a cross.
Chris Douglas-Roberts
Douglas Roberts is great at twitter, his steady feed a mixture of funny observations, style tips, and hurting feelings. Given his many tattoos, a fan recently asked him for his advice, and CDR replied: “get somem original….& Them shits hurt really bad.”
Drew Gooden
Gooden has historically put a lot of effort into unconventional looks, such as this haircut or this beard. A 2007 Akron Beacon-Journal article focuses in on Gooden’s then-recent tattoo, his first new design since he was 15 years old. The article reports that the tattoo is Dali-like, featuring a melting clock, set to 11:11 for good luck. At opposite sides of the clock a pair of angels and a devil observe time, completing this fittingly outlandish design for Gooden. Still, nothing really beats actually seeing it.
Brandon Jennings
During Jennings’ rookie year, he answered questions for a Hoops Hype interview, including one about his many tattoos: “On my right arm, it’s laugh now, cry later. It’s for all the haters who said I would never make it in life. And there’s a man holding a ball with a city behind him, which is basically me holding a basketball with my city behind me. On the left one, it’s my mom (Alice Knox) and my brother (Terrence). It shows I’m blessed.”
Corey Maggette
Maggette has a tattoo on his right shoulder.
John Salmons
Salmons has Chinese characters on his right arm. According to the website NiuBBall.com, it’s identical to Jermaine O’Neal’s Chinese tattoo, and means “person who sells coffins.”
Larry Sanders
Maybe ten years ago someone I knew had to spend some time in prison. He wasn’t exactly a tough guy, so before he went in he decided to get a tattoo that might make him look hard enough that he could avoid fights. He had two full-size pistols tattooed on his waistline, so it looked like the guns were tucked into his pants. It was an intense decision, and one that only half worked.
I’d never seen anyone else with the design until Sanders was drafted by the Bucks and this photo appeared on his twitter page.
Players without tattoos:
Earl Boykins
Ersan Ilyasova
Luc Mbah a Moute
Michael Redd
