Houston Rockets, 2012-13
Tattoo percentage: 60% (9 players with tattoos, 6 without)
The Rockets saw their tattoo percentage increase significantly from last year.
Players with tattoos:
James Anderson
Anderson has a tattoo on his left arm.
Patrick Beverley
Beverley has tattoos along both arms.
Aaron Brooks
Brooks is one of a small group of heavily tattooed NBA players raised in Seattle. Tattooed on his left shoulder is the city’s area code, 206, overlaid on an outline of the space needle.
Carlos Delfino
There’s something about the stylized, bold lines of Delfino’s dragon tattoo that makes me think it’s a logo or from a flag or something, but I’ve never found any corollary. Someone did get a copy of it in 2009….
Donatas Motiejunas
Motiejunas’s most well known tattoo is the eagle on his chest, however a photo of him receiving another tattoo on his stomach was revealed earlier this year on twitter.
Tim Ohlbrecht
Ohlbrecht has a tattoo of a tiger on his left arm. In an interview with the German sports website SPOX, Ohlbrecht explained that father has had the same tattoo for 40 years and this was the player’s way of bringing his father to all of the games.
Thomas Robinson
Among his tattoos are the Washington Nationals logo (Robinson was born and raised in D.C.); the phrase “Success is Nothing Without Failure”; and the “F.O.E.” (Family Over Everything) tattoothat his Kansas teammates Josh Selby and Marcus and Markieff Morris also wear.
Greg Smith
Smith has tattoos along both arms.
Royce White
According to a 2012 Sports Illustrated profile, White has 13 tattoos, including text reading “Attack Everything Always” and a portrait of Frank Sinatra.
Players without tattoos:
Omer Asik
Francisco Garcia
James Harden
Terrence Jones
Jeremy Lin
Chandler Parsons
Oklahoma City Thunder, 2011-12
Tattoo percentage: 53% (8 players with tattoos, 7 without)
It wasn’t that long ago that OKC had a reputation for having the fewest tattooed players in the league. But during the 2011 playoffs, Durant inadvertently revealed the density of tattoos on his stomach, which he followed up with a huge back piece during the offseason. Joined by new tattoos for Eric Maynor and Royal Ivey, the reputation seemed to flip, with OKC emerging as the sixth-most tattooed team in the league last year. With some off-season roster changes, things have relaxed a bit, with the Thunder now meeting the league average for tattoo percentage.
Players with tattoos:
Daequan Cook
Among Cook’s many (10+) tattoos are his daughter’s name and the words “Daddy’s Angel.”
Kevin Durant
During the summer of 2011, Durant had a huge tribute to his home state and his deceased coach tattooed on his back. The design has been referred to as a “business tattoo” since the entire design is hidden by his uniform. A recent interview with the tattoo artist, Randy Harris, revealed that Durant insisted that the tattoo be hidden in this way: “He went out of his way to tell me to not have the tattoos go out of his jersey because he does look at himself as a role model to kids.”
Derek Fisher
Fisher has a couple of Chinese characters tattooed on his right forearm that translate to “to be faithful in heart, mind, and spirit.”
Royal Ivey
Born and raised in New York, Ivey has a full back piece repping the city, with the statue of liberty, the twin towers, and the Queensboro bridge among other landmarks. In a Fanhouse video interview, he explained that “every one of my tattoos means something” and went on to explain the “eye of the beholder” design on his forearm: “you know, ‘beauty is in the eye of the beholder,’ and that’s the man above so that’s why I put it.”
Eric Maynor
Maynor is the third Thunder player to have work done by Randy Harris of Tattoos by Randy. During the summer of 2011, he had his entire right arm filled in by Randy. DailyThunder.com did a great before and after comparison on their site.
Nazr Mohammed
Mohammed has his name tattooed on his left shoulder above a basketball passing through a hoop.
Kendrick Perkins
Perkins wore #43 on his jersey as a high school student and for his seven and a half seasons with the Celtics. At some point during that time, he had the number 43 tattooed on his shoulder. When he was traded to OKC he switched to #5 as 43 had been retired by the Sonics for Jack Sikma. This story makes everyone sad.
Thabo Sefolosha
Sefolosha’s two tattoos read “The Game Chose Me” and “God Guides My Steps.” In an NBA.com profile, he explained the designs: “Those are two things that are very important in my life: basketball and God.”
Players without tattoos:
Cole Aldrich
Nick Collison
James Harden
Lazar Hayward
Serge Ibaka
Reggie Jackson
Russell Westbrook
No longer on roster:
Ryan Reid: has tattoos on both arms.
Oklahoma City Thunder, 2010-11
Tattoo percentage: 64% (9 players with tattoos, 5 without)
It was only a couple of years ago that the Thunder had a reputation for being the least tattooed team in the league. OKC banner wavers DailyThunder.com addressed their lack of tattoos in two different 2009 columns, the first of which posited fewer tattoos=better players, at least for the Thunder. Granted, the team’s pre-trade starting five of Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant, Nenad Krstic, Jeff Green and Thabo Sefolosha had only one visibly tattooed player, but there’s a lot of ink on that team. In fact, since the trade, only six teams have more tattooed players than the Thunder, and the affable, nice guys of Oklahoma City inexplicably have nine tattooed players, which ties them with the Denver Nuggets.
—
Daequan Cook
Among Cook’s many (10+) tattoos are his daughter’s name and the words “Daddy’s Angel.”
Kevin Durant
Durant has a tattoo of his mother’s name, Wanda, on his chest and another design on his wrist. He may not get any more, however, because of the way it feels: “It was like getting pinched for 30 minutes straight. It wasn’t that bad. I don’t think I could take sitting there for two and three hours, just sitting there with them chipping away. That’s too much.”
Royal Ivey
Born and raised in New York, Ivey has a full back piece repping the city, with the statue of liberty, the twin towers, and the Queensboro bridge among other landmarks. In a Fanhouse video interview, he explained that “every one of my tattoos means something” and went on to explain the “eye of the beholder” design on his forearm: “you know, ‘beauty is in the eye of the beholder,’ and that’s the man above so that’s why I put it.”
Eric Maynor
In his senior year at Virginia Commonwealth, Maynor was the topic of a bit of controversy when photos on cover of the VCU media kit showed Maynor with his tattoos airbrushed out. VCU athletic director Norwood Teague explained to the Richmond Times Dispatch that “we try to take them off to present more of an even-keel image” and went on to say that, “we remove them all the time.”
Nazr Mohammed
Mohammed has his name tattooed on his left shoulder above a basketball passing through a hoop.
Byron Mullens
Mullens used go to by BJ Mullens, and has B tattooed on his left forearm and J tattooed on his right forearm. I actually thought this photo was a joke and so I went through and made sure he really had them.
Kendrick Perkins
Perkins has tattoos covering most of his arms, and they are just as opaque and intriguing as he is.
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.”
Thabo Sefolosha
Sefolosha’s two tattoos read “The Game Chose Me” and “God Guides My Steps.” In an NBA.com profile, he explained the designs: “Those are two things that are very important in my life: basketball and God.”
Players without tattoos:
Cole Aldrich
Nick Collison
James Harden
Serge Ibaka
Russell Westbrook
Houston Rockets, 2012-13
Tattoo percentage: 60% (9 players with tattoos, 6 without)
The Rockets saw their tattoo percentage increase significantly from last year.
Players with tattoos:
James Anderson
Anderson has a tattoo on his left arm.
Patrick Beverley
Beverley has tattoos along both arms.
Aaron Brooks
Brooks is one of a small group of heavily tattooed NBA players raised in Seattle. Tattooed on his left shoulder is the city’s area code, 206, overlaid on an outline of the space needle.
Carlos Delfino
There’s something about the stylized, bold lines of Delfino’s dragon tattoo that makes me think it’s a logo or from a flag or something, but I’ve never found any corollary. Someone did get a copy of it in 2009….
Donatas Motiejunas
Motiejunas’s most well known tattoo is the eagle on his chest, however a photo of him receiving another tattoo on his stomach was revealed earlier this year on twitter.
Tim Ohlbrecht
Ohlbrecht has a tattoo of a tiger on his left arm. In an interview with the German sports website SPOX, Ohlbrecht explained that father has had the same tattoo for 40 years and this was the player’s way of bringing his father to all of the games.
Thomas Robinson
Among his tattoos are the Washington Nationals logo (Robinson was born and raised in D.C.); the phrase “Success is Nothing Without Failure”; and the “F.O.E.” (Family Over Everything) tattoothat his Kansas teammates Josh Selby and Marcus and Markieff Morris also wear.
Greg Smith
Smith has tattoos along both arms.
Royce White
According to a 2012 Sports Illustrated profile, White has 13 tattoos, including text reading “Attack Everything Always” and a portrait of Frank Sinatra.
Players without tattoos:
Omer Asik
Francisco Garcia
James Harden
Terrence Jones
Jeremy Lin
Chandler Parsons
Oklahoma City Thunder, 2011-12
Tattoo percentage: 53% (8 players with tattoos, 7 without)
It wasn’t that long ago that OKC had a reputation for having the fewest tattooed players in the league. But during the 2011 playoffs, Durant inadvertently revealed the density of tattoos on his stomach, which he followed up with a huge back piece during the offseason. Joined by new tattoos for Eric Maynor and Royal Ivey, the reputation seemed to flip, with OKC emerging as the sixth-most tattooed team in the league last year. With some off-season roster changes, things have relaxed a bit, with the Thunder now meeting the league average for tattoo percentage.
Players with tattoos:
Daequan Cook
Among Cook’s many (10+) tattoos are his daughter’s name and the words “Daddy’s Angel.”
Kevin Durant
During the summer of 2011, Durant had a huge tribute to his home state and his deceased coach tattooed on his back. The design has been referred to as a “business tattoo” since the entire design is hidden by his uniform. A recent interview with the tattoo artist, Randy Harris, revealed that Durant insisted that the tattoo be hidden in this way: “He went out of his way to tell me to not have the tattoos go out of his jersey because he does look at himself as a role model to kids.”
Derek Fisher
Fisher has a couple of Chinese characters tattooed on his right forearm that translate to “to be faithful in heart, mind, and spirit.”
Royal Ivey
Born and raised in New York, Ivey has a full back piece repping the city, with the statue of liberty, the twin towers, and the Queensboro bridge among other landmarks. In a Fanhouse video interview, he explained that “every one of my tattoos means something” and went on to explain the “eye of the beholder” design on his forearm: “you know, ‘beauty is in the eye of the beholder,’ and that’s the man above so that’s why I put it.”
Eric Maynor
Maynor is the third Thunder player to have work done by Randy Harris of Tattoos by Randy. During the summer of 2011, he had his entire right arm filled in by Randy. DailyThunder.com did a great before and after comparison on their site.
Nazr Mohammed
Mohammed has his name tattooed on his left shoulder above a basketball passing through a hoop.
Kendrick Perkins
Perkins wore #43 on his jersey as a high school student and for his seven and a half seasons with the Celtics. At some point during that time, he had the number 43 tattooed on his shoulder. When he was traded to OKC he switched to #5 as 43 had been retired by the Sonics for Jack Sikma. This story makes everyone sad.
Thabo Sefolosha
Sefolosha’s two tattoos read “The Game Chose Me” and “God Guides My Steps.” In an NBA.com profile, he explained the designs: “Those are two things that are very important in my life: basketball and God.”
Players without tattoos:
Cole Aldrich
Nick Collison
James Harden
Lazar Hayward
Serge Ibaka
Reggie Jackson
Russell Westbrook
No longer on roster:
Ryan Reid: has tattoos on both arms.
Oklahoma City Thunder, 2010-11
Tattoo percentage: 64% (9 players with tattoos, 5 without)
It was only a couple of years ago that the Thunder had a reputation for being the least tattooed team in the league. OKC banner wavers DailyThunder.com addressed their lack of tattoos in two different 2009 columns, the first of which posited fewer tattoos=better players, at least for the Thunder. Granted, the team’s pre-trade starting five of Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant, Nenad Krstic, Jeff Green and Thabo Sefolosha had only one visibly tattooed player, but there’s a lot of ink on that team. In fact, since the trade, only six teams have more tattooed players than the Thunder, and the affable, nice guys of Oklahoma City inexplicably have nine tattooed players, which ties them with the Denver Nuggets.
—
Daequan Cook
Among Cook’s many (10+) tattoos are his daughter’s name and the words “Daddy’s Angel.”
Kevin Durant
Durant has a tattoo of his mother’s name, Wanda, on his chest and another design on his wrist. He may not get any more, however, because of the way it feels: “It was like getting pinched for 30 minutes straight. It wasn’t that bad. I don’t think I could take sitting there for two and three hours, just sitting there with them chipping away. That’s too much.”
Royal Ivey
Born and raised in New York, Ivey has a full back piece repping the city, with the statue of liberty, the twin towers, and the Queensboro bridge among other landmarks. In a Fanhouse video interview, he explained that “every one of my tattoos means something” and went on to explain the “eye of the beholder” design on his forearm: “you know, ‘beauty is in the eye of the beholder,’ and that’s the man above so that’s why I put it.”
Eric Maynor
In his senior year at Virginia Commonwealth, Maynor was the topic of a bit of controversy when photos on cover of the VCU media kit showed Maynor with his tattoos airbrushed out. VCU athletic director Norwood Teague explained to the Richmond Times Dispatch that “we try to take them off to present more of an even-keel image” and went on to say that, “we remove them all the time.”
Nazr Mohammed
Mohammed has his name tattooed on his left shoulder above a basketball passing through a hoop.
Byron Mullens
Mullens used go to by BJ Mullens, and has B tattooed on his left forearm and J tattooed on his right forearm. I actually thought this photo was a joke and so I went through and made sure he really had them.
Kendrick Perkins
Perkins has tattoos covering most of his arms, and they are just as opaque and intriguing as he is.
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.”
Thabo Sefolosha
Sefolosha’s two tattoos read “The Game Chose Me” and “God Guides My Steps.” In an NBA.com profile, he explained the designs: “Those are two things that are very important in my life: basketball and God.”
Players without tattoos:
Cole Aldrich
Nick Collison
James Harden
Serge Ibaka
Russell Westbrook
