Los Angeles Clippers, 2012-13
Tattoo percentage: 67% (10 players with tattoos, 5 without)
The Clippers had a decrease in tattoo percentage from last year.
Players with tattoos:
Matt Barnes
In 2008, Barnes founded the Athletes vs. Cancer foundation in memory of his mother, who passed away from lung cancer. In 2010, he added a portrait of his mother, framed by angel’s wings, to his many tattoos. As he explained to Tom Hoffarth of Inside So Cal, “this keeps her around.”
Chauncey Billups
On Billups’s left shoulder is a tattoo of a crowned figure spinning a basketball on his finger. Surrounding the figure are the words “King of the Hill,” a reference to the Denver neighborhood Billups grew up in. In an IGN Sports interview, Billups described it as his favorite tattoo, and explained the significance: “My neighborhood back home is called Park Hill. It’s a hood thing. All of my tats mean something.”
Eric Bledsoe
Bledsoe has tattoos along both arms.
Caron Butler
While on the Wizards, Butler wrote on his blog about tattoos: “Like many other guys in the NBA, I’m big on tattoos too. I may not be a league leader there, though, because I have just four of them. The tat that means the most to me is the one on my left arm. It says “Rest in Peace, Kailo”. That’s my cousin who died in a car accident. She was like a sister to me. I grew up with her and although she’s no longer here, I keep her with me.”
Jamal Crawford
Players from Seattle tend to have a lot of tattoos (Nate Robinson, Jason Terry, Terrence Williams) and Crawford is one of the heaviest. On his left shoulder is one of the dreamiest basketball-themed tattoos in the league: against a background of heavenly clouds, a hoop glows, with “Jamal” lettered across the backboard in Olde English.
DeAndre Jordan
Among Jordan’s many tattoos is a portrait of his grandfather on his stomach, added in 2012.
Lamar Odom
When it comes to tattoos, Odom keeps it simple: “My tattoos are just reminders of people who are close to me.”
DaJuan Summers
Summers has both arms well covered, but it’s his first tattoo, acquired in high school, that he looks to for comfort: “‘It has my name on it,’ says his mother, Twana, a supermarket meat cutter who raised her three kids alone in Baltimore after her husband died when DaJuan was just 3. ‘And it has the names of [his sister] Regina and [brother] Malik. He says when things get tight, he grabs that tattoo.’”
Ronny Turiaf
In March of 2011, Turiaf began work on a new tattoo on his left arm: a phoenix rising from ashes.
Maalik Wayns
Wayns has tattoos on both arms. In 2011, he posted to twitter: “God I hope I’m living right and sorry for the tattoos.”
Players without tattoos:
Willie Green
Blake Griffin
Grant Hill
Ryan Hollins
Chris Paul
Tattoos by Randy Stays Busy
Randy Harris of Tattoos by Randy is unquestionably the most in-demand tattoo artist for NBA players, and the offseason is likely his busiest time. Recently, two different players used twitter to begin scheduling sessions with Randy.
Ty Lawson:
and Isaiah Thomas:
Sounds Like Jamal Crawford will take advantage of Randy’s trip to Seattle too, another busy inkseason…
Recent Twitters
Remember #inkseason? Last summer, Ty Lawson announced that he was planning on adding a full sleeve tattoo on twitter, marking it with the hashtag “inkseason.” A lot of players wait until the summer to add new tattoos—according to Chris Andersen, “you can’t get them during the season because you get scratched and scarred.”
With the season winding down, a few players are looking forward to new tattoos, as evidenced by some recent twitter posts by Marcus Camby:
and this recent dialogue between Randy Whitman of Tattoos by Randy and Jamal Crawford:
Anonymous asked: Hello! Any insight into who the artists are who've tattooed many of the NBA players? (Or a list of some of the most famous?) Thanks!
Sure! There are a couple artists who can claim to have tattooed the most NBA players.
The first is Mr. Cartoon, based in Los Angeles. Cartoon is best known for his work with rappers and other musicians—his wikipedia page lists Dr. Dre, 50 Cent, Prodigy, Justin Timberlake and Beyoncé. He’s done tattoos for many of the most notoriously tattooed NBA players, including Amar’e Stoudemire and Carlos Boozer. He’s also done some charity work with LeBron James, but I’m not sure he he’s done any LBJ’s tattoos.
I think the dude that’s responsible for tattooing the most NBA players has to be Randy Harris from Tattoos by Randy, based in Atlanta. His myspace page is an incredible source of photos of NBA players—Marvin Williams, Josh Smith, Jamal Crawford, Carmelo Anthony, Jason Richardson, Quentin Richardson, Shelden Williams. The list is long, I mean, Stephen Jackson actually has his own portfolio. If you check his twitter page, you’ll see a lot of dialogue with NBA players. He and Kevin Durant exchanged a lot of discussion about new designs via twitter last summer, culminating in a photo of Randy and Durant’s massive backpiece. The OKC connection doesn’t stop there, as Randy has also done work for Royal Ivey and Eric Maynor. Randy has also done a lot of work for Monta Ellis, and apparently the two go fishing together as well.
I keep meaning to do a rundown of all of the players Randy has tattooed, but in the meantime I saw today on twitter that iHoopAround will premiere a piece about Tattoos by Randy with input from Durant, Maynor, and Daequan Cook. I’ll post a link when that happens….
Every Team’s Got One: Southeast 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 Southeast division. Click HERE to view other divisions.
Atlanta Hawks
Jamal Crawford:
Josh Smith:
Charlotte Bobcats
Joel Przybilla:
Tyrus Thomas:
and
Miami Heat
Mike Bibby:
Eddie House:
Mike Miller:
Orlando Magic
Jason Richardson:
Washington Wizards
Andray Blatche:
Rashard Lewis:
Atlanta Hawks 2010-2011
Tattoo percentage: 64% (9 players with tattoos, 5 without)
I didn’t watch the Hawks enough this year to get a good sense of their character. That fight between Marvin Williams and Shawne Williams (of the Knicks) in January was the most memorable event, followed by the little rivalry between Amar’e Stoudemire and Al Horford that took place entirely in the press and was put to rest when the Knicks won their next two match-ups. I guess the lesson is you shouldn’t trust dudes with Marvin the Martian tattoos?
—
Players with tattoos:
Hilton Armstrong
The website UCONN Hoop Legends reports that Armstrong was so proud of his contributions to the 2004 Huskies NCAA championship that, “he had a tattoo of the ring put on his arm.” Sadly, they leave out the details of the design, in which the ring is raised by a kneeling figure who stands no taller than the ring itself.
Jamal Crawford
Players from Seattle tend to have a lot of tattoos (Nate Robinson, Jason Terry, Terrence Williams) and Crawford is one of the heaviest. On his left shoulder is one of the dreamiest basketball-themed tattoos in the league: against a background of heavenly clouds, a hoop glows, with “Jamal” lettered across the backboard in Olde English.
Kirk Hinrich
Has a chain tattooed on his left wrist in honor of his deceased grandfather.
Joe Johnson
Jackson has his mother’s name and an outline of the state of Arkansas (his birthplace) tattooed on his wrists.
Josh Powell
Has a tribute to his deceased son on his back.
Josh Smith
Smith turned 13 years old in 1998, so it’s no wonder that DMX’s Flesh of My Flesh Blood of My Blood had a massive impact on him, enough to inspire the tattoo on his collar.
Jeff Teague
Has tattoos on both arms.
Damien Wilkins
Lightly tattooed on both shoulders.
Marvin Williams
Another heavily-tattooed player raised in Seattle, Wiliams got his first tattoo in high school: Marvin the Martian. Since that time has added many tattoos, including his mother’s name, the letters GBMS (“God Bless My Success”) and the words “Heart of a Lion” across his shoulders.
Players without tattoos:
Jason Collins
Al Horford
Zaza Pachulia
Pape Sy
Etan Thomas
Los Angeles Clippers, 2012-13
Tattoo percentage: 67% (10 players with tattoos, 5 without)
The Clippers had a decrease in tattoo percentage from last year.
Players with tattoos:
Matt Barnes
In 2008, Barnes founded the Athletes vs. Cancer foundation in memory of his mother, who passed away from lung cancer. In 2010, he added a portrait of his mother, framed by angel’s wings, to his many tattoos. As he explained to Tom Hoffarth of Inside So Cal, “this keeps her around.”
Chauncey Billups
On Billups’s left shoulder is a tattoo of a crowned figure spinning a basketball on his finger. Surrounding the figure are the words “King of the Hill,” a reference to the Denver neighborhood Billups grew up in. In an IGN Sports interview, Billups described it as his favorite tattoo, and explained the significance: “My neighborhood back home is called Park Hill. It’s a hood thing. All of my tats mean something.”
Eric Bledsoe
Bledsoe has tattoos along both arms.
Caron Butler
While on the Wizards, Butler wrote on his blog about tattoos: “Like many other guys in the NBA, I’m big on tattoos too. I may not be a league leader there, though, because I have just four of them. The tat that means the most to me is the one on my left arm. It says “Rest in Peace, Kailo”. That’s my cousin who died in a car accident. She was like a sister to me. I grew up with her and although she’s no longer here, I keep her with me.”
Jamal Crawford
Players from Seattle tend to have a lot of tattoos (Nate Robinson, Jason Terry, Terrence Williams) and Crawford is one of the heaviest. On his left shoulder is one of the dreamiest basketball-themed tattoos in the league: against a background of heavenly clouds, a hoop glows, with “Jamal” lettered across the backboard in Olde English.
DeAndre Jordan
Among Jordan’s many tattoos is a portrait of his grandfather on his stomach, added in 2012.
Lamar Odom
When it comes to tattoos, Odom keeps it simple: “My tattoos are just reminders of people who are close to me.”
DaJuan Summers
Summers has both arms well covered, but it’s his first tattoo, acquired in high school, that he looks to for comfort: “‘It has my name on it,’ says his mother, Twana, a supermarket meat cutter who raised her three kids alone in Baltimore after her husband died when DaJuan was just 3. ‘And it has the names of [his sister] Regina and [brother] Malik. He says when things get tight, he grabs that tattoo.’”
Ronny Turiaf
In March of 2011, Turiaf began work on a new tattoo on his left arm: a phoenix rising from ashes.
Maalik Wayns
Wayns has tattoos on both arms. In 2011, he posted to twitter: “God I hope I’m living right and sorry for the tattoos.”
Players without tattoos:
Willie Green
Blake Griffin
Grant Hill
Ryan Hollins
Chris Paul
Tattoos by Randy Stays Busy
Randy Harris of Tattoos by Randy is unquestionably the most in-demand tattoo artist for NBA players, and the offseason is likely his busiest time. Recently, two different players used twitter to begin scheduling sessions with Randy.
Ty Lawson:
and Isaiah Thomas:
Sounds Like Jamal Crawford will take advantage of Randy’s trip to Seattle too, another busy inkseason…
Recent Twitters
Remember #inkseason? Last summer, Ty Lawson announced that he was planning on adding a full sleeve tattoo on twitter, marking it with the hashtag “inkseason.” A lot of players wait until the summer to add new tattoos—according to Chris Andersen, “you can’t get them during the season because you get scratched and scarred.”
With the season winding down, a few players are looking forward to new tattoos, as evidenced by some recent twitter posts by Marcus Camby:
and this recent dialogue between Randy Whitman of Tattoos by Randy and Jamal Crawford:
Anonymous asked: Hello! Any insight into who the artists are who've tattooed many of the NBA players? (Or a list of some of the most famous?) Thanks!
Sure! There are a couple artists who can claim to have tattooed the most NBA players.
The first is Mr. Cartoon, based in Los Angeles. Cartoon is best known for his work with rappers and other musicians—his wikipedia page lists Dr. Dre, 50 Cent, Prodigy, Justin Timberlake and Beyoncé. He’s done tattoos for many of the most notoriously tattooed NBA players, including Amar’e Stoudemire and Carlos Boozer. He’s also done some charity work with LeBron James, but I’m not sure he he’s done any LBJ’s tattoos.
I think the dude that’s responsible for tattooing the most NBA players has to be Randy Harris from Tattoos by Randy, based in Atlanta. His myspace page is an incredible source of photos of NBA players—Marvin Williams, Josh Smith, Jamal Crawford, Carmelo Anthony, Jason Richardson, Quentin Richardson, Shelden Williams. The list is long, I mean, Stephen Jackson actually has his own portfolio. If you check his twitter page, you’ll see a lot of dialogue with NBA players. He and Kevin Durant exchanged a lot of discussion about new designs via twitter last summer, culminating in a photo of Randy and Durant’s massive backpiece. The OKC connection doesn’t stop there, as Randy has also done work for Royal Ivey and Eric Maynor. Randy has also done a lot of work for Monta Ellis, and apparently the two go fishing together as well.
I keep meaning to do a rundown of all of the players Randy has tattooed, but in the meantime I saw today on twitter that iHoopAround will premiere a piece about Tattoos by Randy with input from Durant, Maynor, and Daequan Cook. I’ll post a link when that happens….
Every Team’s Got One: Southeast 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 Southeast division. Click HERE to view other divisions.
Atlanta Hawks
Jamal Crawford:
Josh Smith:
Charlotte Bobcats
Joel Przybilla:
Tyrus Thomas:
and
Miami Heat
Mike Bibby:
Eddie House:
Mike Miller:
Orlando Magic
Jason Richardson:
Washington Wizards
Andray Blatche:
Rashard Lewis:
Atlanta Hawks 2010-2011
Tattoo percentage: 64% (9 players with tattoos, 5 without)
I didn’t watch the Hawks enough this year to get a good sense of their character. That fight between Marvin Williams and Shawne Williams (of the Knicks) in January was the most memorable event, followed by the little rivalry between Amar’e Stoudemire and Al Horford that took place entirely in the press and was put to rest when the Knicks won their next two match-ups. I guess the lesson is you shouldn’t trust dudes with Marvin the Martian tattoos?
—
Players with tattoos:
Hilton Armstrong
The website UCONN Hoop Legends reports that Armstrong was so proud of his contributions to the 2004 Huskies NCAA championship that, “he had a tattoo of the ring put on his arm.” Sadly, they leave out the details of the design, in which the ring is raised by a kneeling figure who stands no taller than the ring itself.
Jamal Crawford
Players from Seattle tend to have a lot of tattoos (Nate Robinson, Jason Terry, Terrence Williams) and Crawford is one of the heaviest. On his left shoulder is one of the dreamiest basketball-themed tattoos in the league: against a background of heavenly clouds, a hoop glows, with “Jamal” lettered across the backboard in Olde English.
Kirk Hinrich
Has a chain tattooed on his left wrist in honor of his deceased grandfather.
Joe Johnson
Jackson has his mother’s name and an outline of the state of Arkansas (his birthplace) tattooed on his wrists.
Josh Powell
Has a tribute to his deceased son on his back.
Josh Smith
Smith turned 13 years old in 1998, so it’s no wonder that DMX’s Flesh of My Flesh Blood of My Blood had a massive impact on him, enough to inspire the tattoo on his collar.
Jeff Teague
Has tattoos on both arms.
Damien Wilkins
Lightly tattooed on both shoulders.
Marvin Williams
Another heavily-tattooed player raised in Seattle, Wiliams got his first tattoo in high school: Marvin the Martian. Since that time has added many tattoos, including his mother’s name, the letters GBMS (“God Bless My Success”) and the words “Heart of a Lion” across his shoulders.
Players without tattoos:
Jason Collins
Al Horford
Zaza Pachulia
Pape Sy
Etan Thomas
