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
Brandon Rush’s new tattoo
Earlier today, Brandon Rush posted a photo of a tattoo session with Richard “Made Rich” Parker on twitter. Five hours later, he followed up with the above photo of the finished work, which he described as “just angels watching over my family.”
Crowned Basketball Tattoos
Undoubtedly inspired by Thabo Sefalosha’s “The Game Chose Me” design, on Sunday night Brian Cardinal asked twitter how many NBA players have tattoos of basketballs with crowns. This is not a conclusive answer, but here are a few:
Acie Law:
DeMarcus Cousins:
Eric Maynor:
Thabo Sefalosha:
Brandon Rush:
Jared Jeffries:
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
Every Team’s Got One: Central Division
About one-sixth of NBA players have a tattoo of a basketball. It makes sense, lots of people commemorate their passions via tattoos: cyclists, chefs, shredders, LL Cool J. Still, what’s amazing is that every team has at least one player with a basketball tattoo, even the Hornets, who only have two tattooed players. Basketball tattoos range from iconic (Jordan jumpman; NBA logo), to narcissistic (Carlos Boozer’s self portrait), to symbolic (basketball wearing a crown, basketball meshed with a cross), to weird (Rip Hamilton’s gravestone). Going division by division, Every Team’s Got One will sort out the the highlights across the league, continuing here with the Central division. Click HERE to view other divisions.
Chicago Bulls
Carlos Boozer:
Ronnie Brewer:
Derrick Rose:
Cleveland Cavaliers
Alonzo Gee:
Detroit Pistons
Ben Gordon:
Rip Hamilton:
Tracy McGrady:
Rodney Stuckey:
Ben Wallace:
Indiana Pacers
Solomon Jones:
James Posey:
Brandon Rush:
Milwaukee Bucks
Brandon Jennings:
Indiana Pacers 2010-11
Tattoo percentage: 40% (6 players with tattoos, 9 without)
The Pacers recent play underscores the fallacy of the tattoos=thug equation, as neither Josh McRoberts nor Jeff Foster have tattoos.
—
Players with tattoos:
Paul George
George has tattoos along his right arm from his shoulder to his wrist.
Solomon Jones
Jones has tattoos on both arms.
Dahntay Jones
Among his many tattoos, Jones has the words “Never Satisfied” although in this picture you can only see the word “Satisfied” which would be a cool tattoo for a different person I guess.
James Posey
On Posey’s left shoulder is a tattoo of the letter P, a basketball going through a hoop, and the letter Z. If the basketball is viewed as the letter O, the tattoo phonetically spells out his name: P-O-Z.
Brandon Rush
Rush has a collection of tattoos along both arms.
Lance Stephenson
At the age of 16, Stephenson was given the nickname “Born Ready” by Bobbito Garcia. Bobbito founded the greatest independent rap label of the 90s, Fondle Em, and introduced me to maybe half of my favorite songs via his radio show with Stretch Armstrong, so I’m always ready to take his word for whatever. Apparently Stephenson feels the same way, as the had the nickname tattooed on his right shoulder alongside a figure with a basketball and an outline of Coney Island’s skyline (where he grew up).
Players without tattoos:
Darren Collison
Mike Dunleavy
T.J. Ford
Jeff Foster
Danny Granger
Tyler Hansbrough
Roy Hibbert
Josh McRoberts
A.J. Price
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
Brandon Rush’s new tattoo
Earlier today, Brandon Rush posted a photo of a tattoo session with Richard “Made Rich” Parker on twitter. Five hours later, he followed up with the above photo of the finished work, which he described as “just angels watching over my family.”
Crowned Basketball Tattoos
Undoubtedly inspired by Thabo Sefalosha’s “The Game Chose Me” design, on Sunday night Brian Cardinal asked twitter how many NBA players have tattoos of basketballs with crowns. This is not a conclusive answer, but here are a few:
Acie Law:
DeMarcus Cousins:
Eric Maynor:
Thabo Sefalosha:
Brandon Rush:
Jared Jeffries:
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
Every Team’s Got One: Central Division
About one-sixth of NBA players have a tattoo of a basketball. It makes sense, lots of people commemorate their passions via tattoos: cyclists, chefs, shredders, LL Cool J. Still, what’s amazing is that every team has at least one player with a basketball tattoo, even the Hornets, who only have two tattooed players. Basketball tattoos range from iconic (Jordan jumpman; NBA logo), to narcissistic (Carlos Boozer’s self portrait), to symbolic (basketball wearing a crown, basketball meshed with a cross), to weird (Rip Hamilton’s gravestone). Going division by division, Every Team’s Got One will sort out the the highlights across the league, continuing here with the Central division. Click HERE to view other divisions.
Chicago Bulls
Carlos Boozer:
Ronnie Brewer:
Derrick Rose:
Cleveland Cavaliers
Alonzo Gee:
Detroit Pistons
Ben Gordon:
Rip Hamilton:
Tracy McGrady:
Rodney Stuckey:
Ben Wallace:
Indiana Pacers
Solomon Jones:
James Posey:
Brandon Rush:
Milwaukee Bucks
Brandon Jennings:
Indiana Pacers 2010-11
Tattoo percentage: 40% (6 players with tattoos, 9 without)
The Pacers recent play underscores the fallacy of the tattoos=thug equation, as neither Josh McRoberts nor Jeff Foster have tattoos.
—
Players with tattoos:
Paul George
George has tattoos along his right arm from his shoulder to his wrist.
Solomon Jones
Jones has tattoos on both arms.
Dahntay Jones
Among his many tattoos, Jones has the words “Never Satisfied” although in this picture you can only see the word “Satisfied” which would be a cool tattoo for a different person I guess.
James Posey
On Posey’s left shoulder is a tattoo of the letter P, a basketball going through a hoop, and the letter Z. If the basketball is viewed as the letter O, the tattoo phonetically spells out his name: P-O-Z.
Brandon Rush
Rush has a collection of tattoos along both arms.
Lance Stephenson
At the age of 16, Stephenson was given the nickname “Born Ready” by Bobbito Garcia. Bobbito founded the greatest independent rap label of the 90s, Fondle Em, and introduced me to maybe half of my favorite songs via his radio show with Stretch Armstrong, so I’m always ready to take his word for whatever. Apparently Stephenson feels the same way, as the had the nickname tattooed on his right shoulder alongside a figure with a basketball and an outline of Coney Island’s skyline (where he grew up).
Players without tattoos:
Darren Collison
Mike Dunleavy
T.J. Ford
Jeff Foster
Danny Granger
Tyler Hansbrough
Roy Hibbert
Josh McRoberts
A.J. Price
