Philadelphia 76ers, 2012-13
Tattoo percentage: 47% (7 players with tattoos, 8 without)
Despite still being below the league average, the tattoo percentage for the Sixers actually went up from last year.
Players with tattoos:
Kwame Brown
Brown has a tattoo on his left shoulder.
Royal Ivey
Harlem native Ivey has a massive tribute to New York City tattooed on his back.
Arnett Moultrie
Moultrie has tattoos on both arms.
Jason Richardson
A 2010 profile in the Phoenix New Times reported that Richardson has 26 tattoos, including his nickname (THA FACTOR), a grim reaper, the names of his family members, and a figure holding a basketball.
Damien Wilkins
Photographer Janet Klinger made some portraits of Wilkins and his wife that show off the tattoos on his chest and arm.
Dorell Wright
One of the most recognizable of Wright’s many tattoos is the text “G.H.O.S.T.” on his left shoulder. As Wright described to Inked Magazine, “I know that pops out because I see that one on the video games… It’s something me and one of my closest friends thought of, Go Hard Or Stop Trying.”
Nick Young
As described in a 2012 interview for Complex Sports, Young’s most recent tattoo is the text “In Swag We Trust” on his left forearm.
Players without tattoos:
Lavoy Allen
Andrew Bynum
Spencer Hawes
Jrue Holiday: notice that Holiday was listed as having a tattoo for the past two years, based on this photo. I now believe that was an error. Even though his face wasn’t visible, I trusted the caption on this webpage which poked fun at the design. I was further convinced by the fact that the design includes “21” which was Holiday’s jersey number at UCLA. However, revisiting the photo this year, I’m less convinced it’s an image of Holiday, as the number 8 seems visible on the subject’s left bicep, a tattoo I know Holiday doesn’t have. Besides, as an L.A. native, why would he wear a Nationals hat? Finally, a Philadelphia Daily News article about Holiday’s family from February 2013 mentions that tattoos are forbidden by his parents.
Justin Holiday
Charles Jenkins
Evan Turner
Thaddeus Young
Los Angeles Lakers, 2011-12
Tattoo percentage: 57% (8 players with tattoos, 6 players without)
The Lakers were one of the two most tattooed teams in the league last year, but with all of their personnel changes this year they’ve ended up at the league average.
Players with tattoos:
Matt Barnes
In September 2011, Barnes added a pair of eyes above the “La Famiglia” tattoo on his back, sharing an image on twitter with the explanation, “Gotta watch my back for the snakes & fakes out here.”
Steve Blake
On the Lakers blog, while playing the game Would You Rather, Blake revealed that, “I do have one tattoo, but it’s not visible to the public eye.”
Kobe Bryant
Bryant has a few tattoos on his right arm, including his (ex-) wife’s name, his daughters’ names, a crown, and wings.
Devin Ebanks
Ebanks’ high school coach used to say “Make shots, not excuses,” a phrase that resonated deeply enough that two players on the team wanted to make it permanent. “He was going to get the tattoo, but I stole it,” Ebanks said in a Times West Virginian article, referring to a teammate who intended to have the phrase tattooed on his arm. “I got it before he did.”
Christian Eyenga
Eyenga arrived at media day for the 2011-12 season with a tattoo visible beneath his uniform that spanned from shoulder to shoulder.
Andrew Goudelock
Goudelock has tattoos on both shoulders.
Jordan Hill
While at college, the heavily tattooed Hill described his tattoos for the Arizona Daily Wildcat, including the tribute for his mother: “My mom passed when I was 3, so I got “in love and memory”, the year she was born and when she died, a basketball and a banner with her name in it, Carol. And on the bottom I got ‘Doing it for you.’
Metta World Peace
World Peace has the name “Quanisha” tattooed on his bicep, a tribute to his sister who died as an infant.
Players without tattoos:
Andrew Bynum
Pau Gasol
Josh McRoberts
Darius Morris
Troy Murphy
Ramon Sessions
No longer on roster:
Derrick Caracter: Caracter has tattoos on both arms and his chest
Jason Kapono: no tattoos
Los Angeles Lakers, 2010-11
Tattoo percentage: 80% (12 players with tattoos, 3 without)
The Lakers have three players without tattoos: European Pau Gasol (who got respect from Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for avoiding ink); lovable nerd Andrew Bynum (“when I’m 50, I might not want something written on my arm”); and 38-year old veteran Theo Ratliff. The other 4/5th of the team is a ridiculously diverse collection of dudes, but they all have some tattoos.
—
Players with tattoos:
Ron Artest
Artest has the name “Quanisha” tattooed on his bicep, a tribute to his sister who died as an infant.
Matt Barnes
Barnes is one of those guys whose tattoos have started to overlap and become uncountable. In 2008, he explained in an interview: “Seriously, I have no idea how many I have. I got my first tattoo when I was 17, so I’m 11 years into getting tattoos.”
Steve Blake
On the Lakers blog, Blake dropped a bombshell while playing the game Would You Rather: “I do have one tattoo, but it’s not visible to the public eye.”
Shannon Brown
Brown has tattoos on both arms. Also his wife Monica has his name tattooed on her wrist.
Kobe Bryant
Bryant laced his daughter, wife, and God on his right arm.
Derrick Caracter
Caracter has a tattoo on his left shoulder.
Devin Ebanks
Ebanks’ high school coach used to say “Make shots, not excuses,” a phrase that resonated deeply enough that two players on the team wanted to make it permanent. “He was going to get the tattoo, but I stole it,” Ebanks said in a Times West Virginian article, referring to a teammate who intended to have the phrase tattooed on his arm. “I got it before he did.”
Derek Fisher
Fish has a couple of Chinese characters tattooed on his right forearm that translate to “to be faithful in heart, mind, and spirit.”
Trey Johnson
Johnson has a tattoo on his left shoulder.
Lamar Odom
When it comes to tattoos, Odom keeps it simple: “My tattoos are just reminders of people who are close to me.”
Joe Smith
Among Smith’s tattoos is the following text on his forearm: “Only God can judge me. Rest in Peace MS2.” The text is a tribute combining the initials and jersey number of his former Timberwolves teammate Malik Sealy who was killed by a drunk driver in 2000. Former teammate Kevin Garnett has the same tribute on his arm.
Luke Walton
Better just to leave it in Walton’s own words: “The first one I got here, I got in college, and I got the Grateful Dead skeletons but with basketballs instead of canes and hats.”
Players without tattoos:
Andrew Bynum
Pau Gasol
Theo Ratiff
Philadelphia 76ers, 2012-13
Tattoo percentage: 47% (7 players with tattoos, 8 without)
Despite still being below the league average, the tattoo percentage for the Sixers actually went up from last year.
Players with tattoos:
Kwame Brown
Brown has a tattoo on his left shoulder.
Royal Ivey
Harlem native Ivey has a massive tribute to New York City tattooed on his back.
Arnett Moultrie
Moultrie has tattoos on both arms.
Jason Richardson
A 2010 profile in the Phoenix New Times reported that Richardson has 26 tattoos, including his nickname (THA FACTOR), a grim reaper, the names of his family members, and a figure holding a basketball.
Damien Wilkins
Photographer Janet Klinger made some portraits of Wilkins and his wife that show off the tattoos on his chest and arm.
Dorell Wright
One of the most recognizable of Wright’s many tattoos is the text “G.H.O.S.T.” on his left shoulder. As Wright described to Inked Magazine, “I know that pops out because I see that one on the video games… It’s something me and one of my closest friends thought of, Go Hard Or Stop Trying.”
Nick Young
As described in a 2012 interview for Complex Sports, Young’s most recent tattoo is the text “In Swag We Trust” on his left forearm.
Players without tattoos:
Lavoy Allen
Andrew Bynum
Spencer Hawes
Jrue Holiday: notice that Holiday was listed as having a tattoo for the past two years, based on this photo. I now believe that was an error. Even though his face wasn’t visible, I trusted the caption on this webpage which poked fun at the design. I was further convinced by the fact that the design includes “21” which was Holiday’s jersey number at UCLA. However, revisiting the photo this year, I’m less convinced it’s an image of Holiday, as the number 8 seems visible on the subject’s left bicep, a tattoo I know Holiday doesn’t have. Besides, as an L.A. native, why would he wear a Nationals hat? Finally, a Philadelphia Daily News article about Holiday’s family from February 2013 mentions that tattoos are forbidden by his parents.
Justin Holiday
Charles Jenkins
Evan Turner
Thaddeus Young
Los Angeles Lakers, 2011-12
Tattoo percentage: 57% (8 players with tattoos, 6 players without)
The Lakers were one of the two most tattooed teams in the league last year, but with all of their personnel changes this year they’ve ended up at the league average.
Players with tattoos:
Matt Barnes
In September 2011, Barnes added a pair of eyes above the “La Famiglia” tattoo on his back, sharing an image on twitter with the explanation, “Gotta watch my back for the snakes & fakes out here.”
Steve Blake
On the Lakers blog, while playing the game Would You Rather, Blake revealed that, “I do have one tattoo, but it’s not visible to the public eye.”
Kobe Bryant
Bryant has a few tattoos on his right arm, including his (ex-) wife’s name, his daughters’ names, a crown, and wings.
Devin Ebanks
Ebanks’ high school coach used to say “Make shots, not excuses,” a phrase that resonated deeply enough that two players on the team wanted to make it permanent. “He was going to get the tattoo, but I stole it,” Ebanks said in a Times West Virginian article, referring to a teammate who intended to have the phrase tattooed on his arm. “I got it before he did.”
Christian Eyenga
Eyenga arrived at media day for the 2011-12 season with a tattoo visible beneath his uniform that spanned from shoulder to shoulder.
Andrew Goudelock
Goudelock has tattoos on both shoulders.
Jordan Hill
While at college, the heavily tattooed Hill described his tattoos for the Arizona Daily Wildcat, including the tribute for his mother: “My mom passed when I was 3, so I got “in love and memory”, the year she was born and when she died, a basketball and a banner with her name in it, Carol. And on the bottom I got ‘Doing it for you.’
Metta World Peace
World Peace has the name “Quanisha” tattooed on his bicep, a tribute to his sister who died as an infant.
Players without tattoos:
Andrew Bynum
Pau Gasol
Josh McRoberts
Darius Morris
Troy Murphy
Ramon Sessions
No longer on roster:
Derrick Caracter: Caracter has tattoos on both arms and his chest
Jason Kapono: no tattoos
Los Angeles Lakers, 2010-11
Tattoo percentage: 80% (12 players with tattoos, 3 without)
The Lakers have three players without tattoos: European Pau Gasol (who got respect from Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for avoiding ink); lovable nerd Andrew Bynum (“when I’m 50, I might not want something written on my arm”); and 38-year old veteran Theo Ratliff. The other 4/5th of the team is a ridiculously diverse collection of dudes, but they all have some tattoos.
—
Players with tattoos:
Ron Artest
Artest has the name “Quanisha” tattooed on his bicep, a tribute to his sister who died as an infant.
Matt Barnes
Barnes is one of those guys whose tattoos have started to overlap and become uncountable. In 2008, he explained in an interview: “Seriously, I have no idea how many I have. I got my first tattoo when I was 17, so I’m 11 years into getting tattoos.”
Steve Blake
On the Lakers blog, Blake dropped a bombshell while playing the game Would You Rather: “I do have one tattoo, but it’s not visible to the public eye.”
Shannon Brown
Brown has tattoos on both arms. Also his wife Monica has his name tattooed on her wrist.
Kobe Bryant
Bryant laced his daughter, wife, and God on his right arm.
Derrick Caracter
Caracter has a tattoo on his left shoulder.
Devin Ebanks
Ebanks’ high school coach used to say “Make shots, not excuses,” a phrase that resonated deeply enough that two players on the team wanted to make it permanent. “He was going to get the tattoo, but I stole it,” Ebanks said in a Times West Virginian article, referring to a teammate who intended to have the phrase tattooed on his arm. “I got it before he did.”
Derek Fisher
Fish has a couple of Chinese characters tattooed on his right forearm that translate to “to be faithful in heart, mind, and spirit.”
Trey Johnson
Johnson has a tattoo on his left shoulder.
Lamar Odom
When it comes to tattoos, Odom keeps it simple: “My tattoos are just reminders of people who are close to me.”
Joe Smith
Among Smith’s tattoos is the following text on his forearm: “Only God can judge me. Rest in Peace MS2.” The text is a tribute combining the initials and jersey number of his former Timberwolves teammate Malik Sealy who was killed by a drunk driver in 2000. Former teammate Kevin Garnett has the same tribute on his arm.
Luke Walton
Better just to leave it in Walton’s own words: “The first one I got here, I got in college, and I got the Grateful Dead skeletons but with basketballs instead of canes and hats.”
Players without tattoos:
Andrew Bynum
Pau Gasol
Theo Ratiff
