Utah Jazz, 2012-13
Tattoo percentage: 67% (10 players with tattoos, 5 without)
The Jazz increased their percentage of tattooed players slightly from last year.
Players with tattoos:
DeMarre Carroll
When Carroll was 5 years old, his older brother DeLonté died from a brain tumor. While Carroll was a senior at Missouri, a St. Louis Post Dispatch article posed him as a “big brother” for his teammates, explaining he learned the importance of this role from DeLonté, who he’d since commemorated in a R.I.P./portrait tattoo on his arm.
Derrick Favors
Favors’s Jesus with possession tattoo was featured in Dime Magazine’s best new ink column in 2010.
Randy Foye
One of the most heartbreaking tattoos in the league (or that I’ve heard of, period), Foye has a tattoo of his mother over his heart. Raised by his two grandmothers after his father died and his mother ran out on the family, Foye marked his 22nd birthday with this tribute to his absent parent. A 2006 interview painted yearning, not forgiveness as the inspiration for the design: “If my mom was here today, she would probably be the most important person in my life. I know how I treat my grandmother and I put my grandmother in her place on a pedestal. I just felt as if I needed something of her attached to me, so I just put her over my heart.”
Jerel McNeal
McNeal has tattoos on both arms.
Paul Millsap
Millsap has a pair of praying hands tattooed on his left arm.
Kevin Murphy
Murphy has a very unusual tattoo on his hands which spells out the phrase “Son of God.”
Jamaal Tinsley
Tinsley has a tattoo on his right forearm.
Earl Watson
When they were teammates on the Sonics, Kevin Durant described Watson’s backpiece as one of his favorites in the league: “Earl has a cool one on his back that says, ‘La Familia [ the family]’ with the cars on the back, I like that one, too.”
Mo Williams
Williams is one of the most tattooed players on the Jazz. An Akron Beacon article from March 2012 describes one of his tattoos normally hidden by his jersey:
Among his many tattoos, Clippers guard Mo Williams has an NBA tattoo on his back that has nothing to do with basketball, but instead reads “Never Broke Again.”
Marvin Williams
Also one of the most tattooed players on the Jazz, Williams has been a regular at Tattoos by Randy, due to the proximity of the shop to the Atlanta airport (Williams played on the Hawks for seven seasons). Now that he’s in Utah, it seems like he’s slowing down with tattoos. According to a ESPN.com article, not only did Williams not add any tattoos this summer, “I’m actually in the process of getting one removed from my hand.”
Players without tattoos:
Alec Burks
Jeremy Evans
Gordon Hayward
Al Jefferson
Enes Kanter
Utah Jazz, 2011-12
Tattoo percentage: 64% (9 players with tattoos, 5 without)
Big reversal from last year, when the Jazz had 5 players with tattoos and 9 without.
Players with tattoos:
Raja Bell
Bell has a tattoo of a roaring lion guarding over a basketball.
DeMarre Carroll
When Carroll was 5 years old, his older brother DeLonté died from a brain tumor. While Carroll was a senior at Missouri, a St. Louis Post Dispatch article posed him as a “big brother” for his teammates, explaining he learned the importance of this role from DeLonté, who he’d since commemorated in a R.I.P./portrait tattoo on his arm.
Derrick Favors
Favors’s Jesus with possession tattoo was featured in Dime Magazine’s best new ink column in 2010.
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.”
Josh Howard
Howard has two tattoos in tribute to his grandmother—on his shoulder, he has her address, and on his chest, her portrait: “I stay humble. I always remember where I came from. Always have to do that. I have a tattoo on my chest and heart of my grandma to remind me.”
C.J. Miles
Miles recently got a tattoo of the serenity prayer on his arm. The Deseret News reports that the tattoo has become a part of Miles’ pregame ritual:
That Serenity Prayer is so important to Miles, he rubs the tattoo as part of his pregame ritual. It’s his “mental reminder.”
“I’ve got it tatted on my arm for a reason,” he said. “All I can worry about is tonight, try to help my team win a game today. … If you miss shots, so be it. All you can control is the next one.”
Paul Millsap
Millsap has a pair of praying hands tattooed on his left arm.
Jamaal Tinsley
Tinsley has a tattoo on his right forearm.
Earl Watson
When they were teammates on the Sonics, Kevin Durant described Watson’s backpiece as one of his favorites in the league: “Earl has a cool one on his back that says, ‘La Familia [ the family]’ with the cars on the back, I like that one, too.”
Players without tattoos:
Alec Burks
Jeremy Evans
Gordon Hayward
Al Jefferson
Enes Kanter
Every Team’s Got One: Northwest 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 Northwest division. Click HERE to view other divisions.
Denver Nuggets
Wilson Chandler:
Al Harrington:
J.R. Smith:
Minnesota Timberwolves
Michael Beasley:
and
Oklahoma City Thunder
Nazr Mohammed:
Kendrick Perkins:
Thabo Sefolosha:
Portland Trail Blazers
Chris Johnson:
Wes Matthews:
Utah Jazz
Raja Bell:
Derrick Favors:
Earl Watson:
Utah Jazz, 2010-11
Tattoo percentage: 35% (5 players with tattoos, 9 without)
It probably shouldn’t come as a surprise that the handful of tattoos that grace Salt Lake City’s players revolve around Christ or Christ-like figures with basketballs: new recruit Derrick Favors has a glowing Jesus cradling a ball, while 10+ year journeyman Raja Bell has a lion standing watch over the ball. It’s also unsurprising that the Jazz have one of the lowest tattoo percentages in the league.
—
Players with tattoos:
Raja Bell
For most of the decade, Bell’s right shoulder displayed a tribute to his sister’s fiance, Chris Campbell, a college linebacker who died in a car crash in 2002. The design included Campbell’s jersey number (48) and his favorite saying: “Y’all don’t see da dawg.” In recent years, this tattoo has been overcome by a larger half-sleeve design that covers it completely.
Derrick Favors
His Jesus with possession tattoo was featured in Dime Magazine’s best new ink column in 2010.
Devin Harris
Harris has a slowly-growing design on his left bicep that seems to have a few details added each year.
Paul Millsap
Millsap has a pair of praying hands tattooed on his left arm.
Earl Watson
When they were teammates on the Sonics, Kevin Durant described Watson’s backpiece as one of his favorites in the league: “Earl has a cool one on his back that says, ‘La Familia [ the family]’ with the cars on the back, I like that one, too.”
Players without tattoos:
Francisco Elson
Jeremy Evans
Kyrylo Fesenko
Gordon Hayward
Al Jefferson
Andrei Kirilenko: Kirilenko believes that tattoos are a mistake, and is out to prove to the youth that they can be expressive in other ways, for example, his variety of hairstyles: “I’m just trying to bring a new energy to the game because basketball becomes so routine. If we are role models for young kids, it’s better to mess with your hair than tattoos, piercing, smoking or drinking. Young kids want to prove their independence. I’m here to show them it’s better to mess with your hair than anything else.”
C.J. Miles: no tattoos yet, but he’s thinking about it…
Mehmet Okur
Ronnie Price
Utah Jazz, 2012-13
Tattoo percentage: 67% (10 players with tattoos, 5 without)
The Jazz increased their percentage of tattooed players slightly from last year.
Players with tattoos:
DeMarre Carroll
When Carroll was 5 years old, his older brother DeLonté died from a brain tumor. While Carroll was a senior at Missouri, a St. Louis Post Dispatch article posed him as a “big brother” for his teammates, explaining he learned the importance of this role from DeLonté, who he’d since commemorated in a R.I.P./portrait tattoo on his arm.
Derrick Favors
Favors’s Jesus with possession tattoo was featured in Dime Magazine’s best new ink column in 2010.
Randy Foye
One of the most heartbreaking tattoos in the league (or that I’ve heard of, period), Foye has a tattoo of his mother over his heart. Raised by his two grandmothers after his father died and his mother ran out on the family, Foye marked his 22nd birthday with this tribute to his absent parent. A 2006 interview painted yearning, not forgiveness as the inspiration for the design: “If my mom was here today, she would probably be the most important person in my life. I know how I treat my grandmother and I put my grandmother in her place on a pedestal. I just felt as if I needed something of her attached to me, so I just put her over my heart.”
Jerel McNeal
McNeal has tattoos on both arms.
Paul Millsap
Millsap has a pair of praying hands tattooed on his left arm.
Kevin Murphy
Murphy has a very unusual tattoo on his hands which spells out the phrase “Son of God.”
Jamaal Tinsley
Tinsley has a tattoo on his right forearm.
Earl Watson
When they were teammates on the Sonics, Kevin Durant described Watson’s backpiece as one of his favorites in the league: “Earl has a cool one on his back that says, ‘La Familia [ the family]’ with the cars on the back, I like that one, too.”
Mo Williams
Williams is one of the most tattooed players on the Jazz. An Akron Beacon article from March 2012 describes one of his tattoos normally hidden by his jersey:
Among his many tattoos, Clippers guard Mo Williams has an NBA tattoo on his back that has nothing to do with basketball, but instead reads “Never Broke Again.”
Marvin Williams
Also one of the most tattooed players on the Jazz, Williams has been a regular at Tattoos by Randy, due to the proximity of the shop to the Atlanta airport (Williams played on the Hawks for seven seasons). Now that he’s in Utah, it seems like he’s slowing down with tattoos. According to a ESPN.com article, not only did Williams not add any tattoos this summer, “I’m actually in the process of getting one removed from my hand.”
Players without tattoos:
Alec Burks
Jeremy Evans
Gordon Hayward
Al Jefferson
Enes Kanter
Utah Jazz, 2011-12
Tattoo percentage: 64% (9 players with tattoos, 5 without)
Big reversal from last year, when the Jazz had 5 players with tattoos and 9 without.
Players with tattoos:
Raja Bell
Bell has a tattoo of a roaring lion guarding over a basketball.
DeMarre Carroll
When Carroll was 5 years old, his older brother DeLonté died from a brain tumor. While Carroll was a senior at Missouri, a St. Louis Post Dispatch article posed him as a “big brother” for his teammates, explaining he learned the importance of this role from DeLonté, who he’d since commemorated in a R.I.P./portrait tattoo on his arm.
Derrick Favors
Favors’s Jesus with possession tattoo was featured in Dime Magazine’s best new ink column in 2010.
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.”
Josh Howard
Howard has two tattoos in tribute to his grandmother—on his shoulder, he has her address, and on his chest, her portrait: “I stay humble. I always remember where I came from. Always have to do that. I have a tattoo on my chest and heart of my grandma to remind me.”
C.J. Miles
Miles recently got a tattoo of the serenity prayer on his arm. The Deseret News reports that the tattoo has become a part of Miles’ pregame ritual:
That Serenity Prayer is so important to Miles, he rubs the tattoo as part of his pregame ritual. It’s his “mental reminder.”
“I’ve got it tatted on my arm for a reason,” he said. “All I can worry about is tonight, try to help my team win a game today. … If you miss shots, so be it. All you can control is the next one.”
Paul Millsap
Millsap has a pair of praying hands tattooed on his left arm.
Jamaal Tinsley
Tinsley has a tattoo on his right forearm.
Earl Watson
When they were teammates on the Sonics, Kevin Durant described Watson’s backpiece as one of his favorites in the league: “Earl has a cool one on his back that says, ‘La Familia [ the family]’ with the cars on the back, I like that one, too.”
Players without tattoos:
Alec Burks
Jeremy Evans
Gordon Hayward
Al Jefferson
Enes Kanter
Every Team’s Got One: Northwest 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 Northwest division. Click HERE to view other divisions.
Denver Nuggets
Wilson Chandler:
Al Harrington:
J.R. Smith:
Minnesota Timberwolves
Michael Beasley:
and
Oklahoma City Thunder
Nazr Mohammed:
Kendrick Perkins:
Thabo Sefolosha:
Portland Trail Blazers
Chris Johnson:
Wes Matthews:
Utah Jazz
Raja Bell:
Derrick Favors:
Earl Watson:
Utah Jazz, 2010-11
Tattoo percentage: 35% (5 players with tattoos, 9 without)
It probably shouldn’t come as a surprise that the handful of tattoos that grace Salt Lake City’s players revolve around Christ or Christ-like figures with basketballs: new recruit Derrick Favors has a glowing Jesus cradling a ball, while 10+ year journeyman Raja Bell has a lion standing watch over the ball. It’s also unsurprising that the Jazz have one of the lowest tattoo percentages in the league.
—
Players with tattoos:
Raja Bell
For most of the decade, Bell’s right shoulder displayed a tribute to his sister’s fiance, Chris Campbell, a college linebacker who died in a car crash in 2002. The design included Campbell’s jersey number (48) and his favorite saying: “Y’all don’t see da dawg.” In recent years, this tattoo has been overcome by a larger half-sleeve design that covers it completely.
Derrick Favors
His Jesus with possession tattoo was featured in Dime Magazine’s best new ink column in 2010.
Devin Harris
Harris has a slowly-growing design on his left bicep that seems to have a few details added each year.
Paul Millsap
Millsap has a pair of praying hands tattooed on his left arm.
Earl Watson
When they were teammates on the Sonics, Kevin Durant described Watson’s backpiece as one of his favorites in the league: “Earl has a cool one on his back that says, ‘La Familia [ the family]’ with the cars on the back, I like that one, too.”
Players without tattoos:
Francisco Elson
Jeremy Evans
Kyrylo Fesenko
Gordon Hayward
Al Jefferson
Andrei Kirilenko: Kirilenko believes that tattoos are a mistake, and is out to prove to the youth that they can be expressive in other ways, for example, his variety of hairstyles: “I’m just trying to bring a new energy to the game because basketball becomes so routine. If we are role models for young kids, it’s better to mess with your hair than tattoos, piercing, smoking or drinking. Young kids want to prove their independence. I’m here to show them it’s better to mess with your hair than anything else.”
C.J. Miles: no tattoos yet, but he’s thinking about it…
Mehmet Okur
Ronnie Price
