Brooklyn Nets, 2012-13
Tattoo percentage: 73% (11 players with tattoos, 4 without)
The Nets saw their tattoo percentage decrease slightly over last year.
Players with tattoos:
Andray Blatche
Blatche has tattoos on both arms and on his chest.
Keith Bogans
As described by Bogans in a NBA.com chat, “I have one tattoo of a taurus on my arm. It’s a bull, it fits my personality. The other one is a panther with a basketball … I got that when I was a little bit younger.”
MarShon Brooks
Brooks has several tattoos, including the name of his younger sister on his right wrist.
Reggie Evans
As reported by the New York Times, Evans has the state of Florida tattooed on his right arm.
Joe Johnson
Johnson has his mother’s name and an outline of the state of Arkansas (his birthplace) tattooed on his wrists.
Kris Joseph
Joseph and his three siblings all have a matching tattoo: the text “Diamonds Are Forever” and a diamond with each of their initials inscribed within.
Jerry Stackhouse
Stackhouse has tattoos on both arms and his chest.
Tyshawn Taylor
Taylor has tattoos on both arms and across his chest.
Gerald Wallace
On Wallace’s right shoulder is a great tattoo of a tiger.
C.J. Watson
In December of 2012, Randy Harris of Tattoos by Randy traveled to Brooklyn to put a full sleeve on Watson, sharing photos of the finished work on his twitter account.
Deron Williams
Williams has tattoos on both arms.
Players without tattoos:
Kris Humphries
Brook Lopez
Tornike Shengelia
Mirza Teletovic
New Jersey Nets 2011-12
Tattoo percentage: 79% (11 players with tattoos, 3 without)
Jonathan Abrams posted an account on Grantland of a week spent with the Nets at the beginning of this season. It’s kind of a heartbreaker. A big part of it is the haphazard collection of players, which is reflected in the tattoos described below. Like last year, the panthers to Simpsons-reference array is difficult to harmonize, but maybe the prevalence of basketball tattoos on the team will be the common chord. At the very least, they have a lot more tattoos than last year.
—
Players with tattoos:
MarShon Brooks
The winged basketball on Brooks’ left shoulder is one of my favorite designs in the league.
Jordan Farmar
Insted were a late 80s posicore band from Anaheim who formed that same year that Farmar was born just 20 miles away in Los Angeles. Farmar has a tattoo that looks suspiciously like the cover of Insted’s first LP, Bonds of Friendship, but according to an interview with Farmar, has a totally different origin: “I got it after my freshman year of college. It’s a picture drawn by my first basketball coach, he’s an artist for the Simpsons.”
Gerald Green
Green has tattoos on both arms.
Damion James
James has both arms pretty done.
Anthony Morrow
In October of 2011 Morrow posted a photo of his back piece on twitter, continuing the family theme begun on his chest.
Johan Petro
Petro has tattoos on both arms.
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.”
Gerald Wallace
I love Wallace’s tiger tattoo. It’s great that one of the most energetic and excitable players in the league has a super-calm, un-roaring, un-threatening tiger on his shoulder.
Deron Williams
Williams famously got one panther tattoo covered by a different panther tattoo. Among his many designs, including tributes to his family, to basketball, and to the state of Texas, Williams said, “It’s a way to express yourself. I probably won’t like them when I’m 90. But right now I do.”
Jordan Williams
Williams has a basketball tattooed on his right shoulder.
Shelden Williams
Williams is married to WNBA star Candace Parker. Parker has a key tattooed on her wrist, and Williams has a matching lock tattooed on his wrist.
Players without tattoos:
Sundiata Gaines
Kris Humphries
Brook Lopez
No longer on roster:
Dennis Horner: Horner has a tattoo of a flaming basketball and his jersey number. There is a facebook page dedicated to it.
Every Team’s Got One: Atlantic 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, starting here with the Atlantic division.
Boston Celtics
Shaquille O’Neal:
New Jersey Nets
Damion James:
Deron Williams:
New York Knicks
Carmelo Anthony:
Chauncey Billups:
Jared Jeffries:
Philadelphia Sixers
Andre Iguodala:
Toronto Raptors
Sonny Weems:
New Jersey Nets, 2010-11
Tattoo percentage: 47% (7 players with tattoos, 8 without)
From panthers to blood puddles to pirates to vaguely Simpsons-related art, the Nets really showcase the diversity of tattoos present in the NBA.
—
Players with tattoos:
Jordan Farmar
Insted were a late 80s posicore band from Anaheim who formed the same year that Farmar was born just 20 miles away in Los Angeles. Farmar has a tattoo that looks suspiciously like the cover of Insted’s first LP, Bonds of Friendship, but according to an interview, has a totally different origin: “I got it after my freshman year of college. It’s a picture drawn by my first basketball coach, he’s an artist for the Simpsons.”
Dan Gadzuric
Gadzuric’s mother is from Serbia, his father from Saint Vincent. Although the two countries are separated by an ocean, and have never been in direct conflict, they both have violent histories, a story told in Gadzuric’s back tattoo: “The tattoo on my back are two countries joining together with praying hands, covered with blood creating a puddle on the bottom. The two countries represent my two ethnicities.”
Damion James
Among James’ many tattoos is the classic cross/basketball design on his right shoulder.
Anthony Morrow
Morrow has full sleeves on both his arms, and a tribute to his family across his chest.
Johan Petro
Petro has tattoos on both arms.
Mario West
On West’s left shoulder is a tattoo of a pirate.
Deron Williams
Williams famously got one panther tattoo covered by a different panther tattoo. Among his many tattoos, including tributes to his family, basketball, and the state of Texas, Williams said, “It’s a way to express yourself. I probably won’t like them when I’m 90. But right now I do.”
Players without tattoos:
Sundiata Gaines
Stephen Graham
Kris Humphries
Brook Lopez
Travis Outlaw
Ben Uzoh
Sasha Vujacic
Brandan Wright
Brooklyn Nets, 2012-13
Tattoo percentage: 73% (11 players with tattoos, 4 without)
The Nets saw their tattoo percentage decrease slightly over last year.
Players with tattoos:
Andray Blatche
Blatche has tattoos on both arms and on his chest.
Keith Bogans
As described by Bogans in a NBA.com chat, “I have one tattoo of a taurus on my arm. It’s a bull, it fits my personality. The other one is a panther with a basketball … I got that when I was a little bit younger.”
MarShon Brooks
Brooks has several tattoos, including the name of his younger sister on his right wrist.
Reggie Evans
As reported by the New York Times, Evans has the state of Florida tattooed on his right arm.
Joe Johnson
Johnson has his mother’s name and an outline of the state of Arkansas (his birthplace) tattooed on his wrists.
Kris Joseph
Joseph and his three siblings all have a matching tattoo: the text “Diamonds Are Forever” and a diamond with each of their initials inscribed within.
Jerry Stackhouse
Stackhouse has tattoos on both arms and his chest.
Tyshawn Taylor
Taylor has tattoos on both arms and across his chest.
Gerald Wallace
On Wallace’s right shoulder is a great tattoo of a tiger.
C.J. Watson
In December of 2012, Randy Harris of Tattoos by Randy traveled to Brooklyn to put a full sleeve on Watson, sharing photos of the finished work on his twitter account.
Deron Williams
Williams has tattoos on both arms.
Players without tattoos:
Kris Humphries
Brook Lopez
Tornike Shengelia
Mirza Teletovic
New Jersey Nets 2011-12
Tattoo percentage: 79% (11 players with tattoos, 3 without)
Jonathan Abrams posted an account on Grantland of a week spent with the Nets at the beginning of this season. It’s kind of a heartbreaker. A big part of it is the haphazard collection of players, which is reflected in the tattoos described below. Like last year, the panthers to Simpsons-reference array is difficult to harmonize, but maybe the prevalence of basketball tattoos on the team will be the common chord. At the very least, they have a lot more tattoos than last year.
—
Players with tattoos:
MarShon Brooks
The winged basketball on Brooks’ left shoulder is one of my favorite designs in the league.
Jordan Farmar
Insted were a late 80s posicore band from Anaheim who formed that same year that Farmar was born just 20 miles away in Los Angeles. Farmar has a tattoo that looks suspiciously like the cover of Insted’s first LP, Bonds of Friendship, but according to an interview with Farmar, has a totally different origin: “I got it after my freshman year of college. It’s a picture drawn by my first basketball coach, he’s an artist for the Simpsons.”
Gerald Green
Green has tattoos on both arms.
Damion James
James has both arms pretty done.
Anthony Morrow
In October of 2011 Morrow posted a photo of his back piece on twitter, continuing the family theme begun on his chest.
Johan Petro
Petro has tattoos on both arms.
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.”
Gerald Wallace
I love Wallace’s tiger tattoo. It’s great that one of the most energetic and excitable players in the league has a super-calm, un-roaring, un-threatening tiger on his shoulder.
Deron Williams
Williams famously got one panther tattoo covered by a different panther tattoo. Among his many designs, including tributes to his family, to basketball, and to the state of Texas, Williams said, “It’s a way to express yourself. I probably won’t like them when I’m 90. But right now I do.”
Jordan Williams
Williams has a basketball tattooed on his right shoulder.
Shelden Williams
Williams is married to WNBA star Candace Parker. Parker has a key tattooed on her wrist, and Williams has a matching lock tattooed on his wrist.
Players without tattoos:
Sundiata Gaines
Kris Humphries
Brook Lopez
No longer on roster:
Dennis Horner: Horner has a tattoo of a flaming basketball and his jersey number. There is a facebook page dedicated to it.
Every Team’s Got One: Atlantic 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, starting here with the Atlantic division.
Boston Celtics
Shaquille O’Neal:
New Jersey Nets
Damion James:
Deron Williams:
New York Knicks
Carmelo Anthony:
Chauncey Billups:
Jared Jeffries:
Philadelphia Sixers
Andre Iguodala:
Toronto Raptors
Sonny Weems:
New Jersey Nets, 2010-11
Tattoo percentage: 47% (7 players with tattoos, 8 without)
From panthers to blood puddles to pirates to vaguely Simpsons-related art, the Nets really showcase the diversity of tattoos present in the NBA.
—
Players with tattoos:
Jordan Farmar
Insted were a late 80s posicore band from Anaheim who formed the same year that Farmar was born just 20 miles away in Los Angeles. Farmar has a tattoo that looks suspiciously like the cover of Insted’s first LP, Bonds of Friendship, but according to an interview, has a totally different origin: “I got it after my freshman year of college. It’s a picture drawn by my first basketball coach, he’s an artist for the Simpsons.”
Dan Gadzuric
Gadzuric’s mother is from Serbia, his father from Saint Vincent. Although the two countries are separated by an ocean, and have never been in direct conflict, they both have violent histories, a story told in Gadzuric’s back tattoo: “The tattoo on my back are two countries joining together with praying hands, covered with blood creating a puddle on the bottom. The two countries represent my two ethnicities.”
Damion James
Among James’ many tattoos is the classic cross/basketball design on his right shoulder.
Anthony Morrow
Morrow has full sleeves on both his arms, and a tribute to his family across his chest.
Johan Petro
Petro has tattoos on both arms.
Mario West
On West’s left shoulder is a tattoo of a pirate.
Deron Williams
Williams famously got one panther tattoo covered by a different panther tattoo. Among his many tattoos, including tributes to his family, basketball, and the state of Texas, Williams said, “It’s a way to express yourself. I probably won’t like them when I’m 90. But right now I do.”
Players without tattoos:
Sundiata Gaines
Stephen Graham
Kris Humphries
Brook Lopez
Travis Outlaw
Ben Uzoh
Sasha Vujacic
Brandan Wright
