Cleveland Cavaliers, 2012-13
Tattoo percentage: 60% (9 players with tattoos, 6 without)
Cleveland’s tattoo percentage went up a touch from last year.
Players with tattoos:
Wayne Ellington
Ellington has a tattoo on the inside of his right arm.
Alonzo Gee
As a child, Gee was required by his mother to memorize bible verses. One from Isaiah 54:17 is tattooed on his right shoulder: “No weapon formed against you shall prosper.”
Daniel Gibson
Gibson is one of the most heavily tattooed players on the Cavs. This year, he added a tattoo to his hand in tribute to his wife, Keyshia Cole.
Kyrie Irving
Irving has several tattoos, which he’s documented via his twitter account. In the beginning of 2010 he added a photo of the tribute to his mother, and towards the end of that year shared a photo of his “hungry & humble” tattoo.
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.”
Marreese Speights
Speights has several tattoos on his arms, including his mother’s name on his forearm.
Tristan Thompson
Thompson has a couple of tattoos, including the initials “G2S” meaning “Grind To Shine” and the text “I Am My Brother’s Keeper” on his chest. In a 2012 article about tattoos in the league, he shared his thoughts about basketball-related tattoos:
“I wanted to get something that was going to mean something so I won’t regret it when I’m 50,” Thompson said. “A lot of guys get tattoos because maybe they’re drunk one night or they think something is cool at the time. I’d never get a basketball tattoo because basketball only lasts so long. When you stop playing the game, it’s going to look (dumb).”
Dion Waiters
Waiters kept a rookie year diary for Dime Magazine this year. His March entry talks through all of his tattoos to date, and discusses his plans for future designs.
Luke Walton
Better just to leave it in Walton’s own words: “The first one I got here, I got in college, and I got the Grateful Dead skeletons but with basketballs instead of canes and hats.”
Players without tattoos:
Omri Cassia
Kevin Jones
Shaun Livingston
Chris Quinn
Anderson Varejao
Tyler Zeller
Jason Lloyd: NBA players writing their messages in ink
The Akron Beacon Journal printed Jason Lloyd’s story about NBA tattoos in yesterday’s edition. It’s well-researched with some interesting quotes, from tattooed and un-tattooed players. One major revelation is that Cavs coach Byron Scott has a tattoo, which means I should change the claim that the Sixers have the only tattooed coach in the league. Some other notables:
“I wanted to get something that was going to mean something so I won’t regret it when I’m 50,” [Tristan] Thompson said. “A lot of guys get tattoos because maybe they’re drunk one night or they think something is cool at the time. I’d never get a basketball tattoo because basketball only lasts so long. When you stop playing the game, it’s going to look (dumb).”
I wonder how he feels about his new teammate Luke Walton’s tattoo.
“It used to be, ‘Look at this guy with all the tattoos.’ Now you’re doing stories and talking to a guy who doesn’t have tattoos. That tells you how far things go,” [Anthony] Parker said. “It’s just something I never wanted to do.
There are also some nice descriptions of tattoos on Mo Williams, Alonzo Gee, Antawn Jamison, and Chris Andersen, along with the assertion that the Lynyrd Skynyrd song “Free Bird” saved the Birdman’s life during his bout with drug and alcohol addiction.
Cleveland Cavaliers 2011-12
Tattoo percentage: 57% (8 players with tattoos, 6 without)
With the mid-season trade of Christian Eyenga and Ramon Sessions for Luke Walton the Cavs tattoo numbers raised from a below average 40% last year to over half of the team this year. Number one draft pick Kyrie Irving, who seems to bring some hope to the team this year, also brings a few very emotional and compelling tattoos with him. Also notable: Cavs’ head coach Byron Scott recently revealed he and his wife have matching tattoos.
Players with tattoos:
Alonzo Gee
As a child, Gee was required by his mother to memorize bible verses. One from Isaiah 54:17 is tattooed on his right shoulder: “No weapon formed against you shall prosper.”
Daniel Gibson
Gibson and his wife Keyshia Cole were featured on the cover of Urban Ink Magazine in spring 2011. Cole has a tattoo on her shoulder that reads “Truly Blessed D. Gibson” and some anonymous young woman in Cleveland also has a Boobie Gibson tattoo.
Manny Harris
Harris has “Kill or Be Killed” tattooed on his shoulder.
Kyrie Irving
Irving has several tattoos, which he’s documented via his twitter account. In the beginning of 2010 he added a photo of the tribute to his mother, and towards the end of that year shared the above photo of his “hungry & humble” tattoo.
Antawn Jamison
Tattooed on Jamison’s left shoulder is a scene where an angel stands beneath a cross, a tribute to his grandmother who died when he was in high school. “Ever since she passed, she’s been my angel,” Jamison explained in a 2008 Washington Post article. “As a kid, I thought she was the only person that actually believed I could be an NBA player.”
Donald Sloan
Sloan has tattoos on both shoulders.
Tristan Thompson
Thompson has a tattoo on his left hand, discussed in an October 2011 Sportsnet Magazine article: “It reads ‘G2S’ and stands for Grind to Shine, the motto (and tattoo) he shared with Longhorn freshman Myck Kabongo, the highly rated point guard from Toronto, and other graduates of the elite Grassroots Canada AAU program.”
Luke Walton
Better just to leave it in Walton’s own words: “The first one I got here, I got in college, and I got the Grateful Dead skeletons but with basketballs instead of canes and hats.”
Players without tattoos:
Omri Casspi
Semih Erden
Luke Harangody
Anthony Parker
Samardo Samuels
Anderson Varejao
Every Team’s Got One: Pacific 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 Pacific division. Click HERE to view other divisions.
Golden State Warriors
Monta Ellis:
Acie Law:
Los Angeles Clippers
Jamario Moon:
Willie Warren:
Los Angeles Lakers
Matt Barnes:
Devin Ebanks:
Trey Johnson:
Luke Walton:
Phoenix Suns
Marcin Gortat:
Sacramento Kings
DeMarcus Cousins:
Marcus Thornton:
Los Angeles Lakers, 2010-11
Tattoo percentage: 80% (12 players with tattoos, 3 without)
The Lakers have three players without tattoos: European Pau Gasol (who got respect from Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for avoiding ink); lovable nerd Andrew Bynum (“when I’m 50, I might not want something written on my arm”); and 38-year old veteran Theo Ratliff. The other 4/5th of the team is a ridiculously diverse collection of dudes, but they all have some tattoos.
—
Players with tattoos:
Ron Artest
Artest has the name “Quanisha” tattooed on his bicep, a tribute to his sister who died as an infant.
Matt Barnes
Barnes is one of those guys whose tattoos have started to overlap and become uncountable. In 2008, he explained in an interview: “Seriously, I have no idea how many I have. I got my first tattoo when I was 17, so I’m 11 years into getting tattoos.”
Steve Blake
On the Lakers blog, Blake dropped a bombshell while playing the game Would You Rather: “I do have one tattoo, but it’s not visible to the public eye.”
Shannon Brown
Brown has tattoos on both arms. Also his wife Monica has his name tattooed on her wrist.
Kobe Bryant
Bryant laced his daughter, wife, and God on his right arm.
Derrick Caracter
Caracter has a tattoo on his left shoulder.
Devin Ebanks
Ebanks’ high school coach used to say “Make shots, not excuses,” a phrase that resonated deeply enough that two players on the team wanted to make it permanent. “He was going to get the tattoo, but I stole it,” Ebanks said in a Times West Virginian article, referring to a teammate who intended to have the phrase tattooed on his arm. “I got it before he did.”
Derek Fisher
Fish has a couple of Chinese characters tattooed on his right forearm that translate to “to be faithful in heart, mind, and spirit.”
Trey Johnson
Johnson has a tattoo on his left shoulder.
Lamar Odom
When it comes to tattoos, Odom keeps it simple: “My tattoos are just reminders of people who are close to me.”
Joe Smith
Among Smith’s tattoos is the following text on his forearm: “Only God can judge me. Rest in Peace MS2.” The text is a tribute combining the initials and jersey number of his former Timberwolves teammate Malik Sealy who was killed by a drunk driver in 2000. Former teammate Kevin Garnett has the same tribute on his arm.
Luke Walton
Better just to leave it in Walton’s own words: “The first one I got here, I got in college, and I got the Grateful Dead skeletons but with basketballs instead of canes and hats.”
Players without tattoos:
Andrew Bynum
Pau Gasol
Theo Ratiff
Cleveland Cavaliers, 2012-13
Tattoo percentage: 60% (9 players with tattoos, 6 without)
Cleveland’s tattoo percentage went up a touch from last year.
Players with tattoos:
Wayne Ellington
Ellington has a tattoo on the inside of his right arm.
Alonzo Gee
As a child, Gee was required by his mother to memorize bible verses. One from Isaiah 54:17 is tattooed on his right shoulder: “No weapon formed against you shall prosper.”
Daniel Gibson
Gibson is one of the most heavily tattooed players on the Cavs. This year, he added a tattoo to his hand in tribute to his wife, Keyshia Cole.
Kyrie Irving
Irving has several tattoos, which he’s documented via his twitter account. In the beginning of 2010 he added a photo of the tribute to his mother, and towards the end of that year shared a photo of his “hungry & humble” tattoo.
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.”
Marreese Speights
Speights has several tattoos on his arms, including his mother’s name on his forearm.
Tristan Thompson
Thompson has a couple of tattoos, including the initials “G2S” meaning “Grind To Shine” and the text “I Am My Brother’s Keeper” on his chest. In a 2012 article about tattoos in the league, he shared his thoughts about basketball-related tattoos:
“I wanted to get something that was going to mean something so I won’t regret it when I’m 50,” Thompson said. “A lot of guys get tattoos because maybe they’re drunk one night or they think something is cool at the time. I’d never get a basketball tattoo because basketball only lasts so long. When you stop playing the game, it’s going to look (dumb).”
Dion Waiters
Waiters kept a rookie year diary for Dime Magazine this year. His March entry talks through all of his tattoos to date, and discusses his plans for future designs.
Luke Walton
Better just to leave it in Walton’s own words: “The first one I got here, I got in college, and I got the Grateful Dead skeletons but with basketballs instead of canes and hats.”
Players without tattoos:
Omri Cassia
Kevin Jones
Shaun Livingston
Chris Quinn
Anderson Varejao
Tyler Zeller
Jason Lloyd: NBA players writing their messages in ink
The Akron Beacon Journal printed Jason Lloyd’s story about NBA tattoos in yesterday’s edition. It’s well-researched with some interesting quotes, from tattooed and un-tattooed players. One major revelation is that Cavs coach Byron Scott has a tattoo, which means I should change the claim that the Sixers have the only tattooed coach in the league. Some other notables:
“I wanted to get something that was going to mean something so I won’t regret it when I’m 50,” [Tristan] Thompson said. “A lot of guys get tattoos because maybe they’re drunk one night or they think something is cool at the time. I’d never get a basketball tattoo because basketball only lasts so long. When you stop playing the game, it’s going to look (dumb).”
I wonder how he feels about his new teammate Luke Walton’s tattoo.
“It used to be, ‘Look at this guy with all the tattoos.’ Now you’re doing stories and talking to a guy who doesn’t have tattoos. That tells you how far things go,” [Anthony] Parker said. “It’s just something I never wanted to do.
There are also some nice descriptions of tattoos on Mo Williams, Alonzo Gee, Antawn Jamison, and Chris Andersen, along with the assertion that the Lynyrd Skynyrd song “Free Bird” saved the Birdman’s life during his bout with drug and alcohol addiction.
Cleveland Cavaliers 2011-12
Tattoo percentage: 57% (8 players with tattoos, 6 without)
With the mid-season trade of Christian Eyenga and Ramon Sessions for Luke Walton the Cavs tattoo numbers raised from a below average 40% last year to over half of the team this year. Number one draft pick Kyrie Irving, who seems to bring some hope to the team this year, also brings a few very emotional and compelling tattoos with him. Also notable: Cavs’ head coach Byron Scott recently revealed he and his wife have matching tattoos.
Players with tattoos:
Alonzo Gee
As a child, Gee was required by his mother to memorize bible verses. One from Isaiah 54:17 is tattooed on his right shoulder: “No weapon formed against you shall prosper.”
Daniel Gibson
Gibson and his wife Keyshia Cole were featured on the cover of Urban Ink Magazine in spring 2011. Cole has a tattoo on her shoulder that reads “Truly Blessed D. Gibson” and some anonymous young woman in Cleveland also has a Boobie Gibson tattoo.
Manny Harris
Harris has “Kill or Be Killed” tattooed on his shoulder.
Kyrie Irving
Irving has several tattoos, which he’s documented via his twitter account. In the beginning of 2010 he added a photo of the tribute to his mother, and towards the end of that year shared the above photo of his “hungry & humble” tattoo.
Antawn Jamison
Tattooed on Jamison’s left shoulder is a scene where an angel stands beneath a cross, a tribute to his grandmother who died when he was in high school. “Ever since she passed, she’s been my angel,” Jamison explained in a 2008 Washington Post article. “As a kid, I thought she was the only person that actually believed I could be an NBA player.”
Donald Sloan
Sloan has tattoos on both shoulders.
Tristan Thompson
Thompson has a tattoo on his left hand, discussed in an October 2011 Sportsnet Magazine article: “It reads ‘G2S’ and stands for Grind to Shine, the motto (and tattoo) he shared with Longhorn freshman Myck Kabongo, the highly rated point guard from Toronto, and other graduates of the elite Grassroots Canada AAU program.”
Luke Walton
Better just to leave it in Walton’s own words: “The first one I got here, I got in college, and I got the Grateful Dead skeletons but with basketballs instead of canes and hats.”
Players without tattoos:
Omri Casspi
Semih Erden
Luke Harangody
Anthony Parker
Samardo Samuels
Anderson Varejao
Every Team’s Got One: Pacific 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 Pacific division. Click HERE to view other divisions.
Golden State Warriors
Monta Ellis:
Acie Law:
Los Angeles Clippers
Jamario Moon:
Willie Warren:
Los Angeles Lakers
Matt Barnes:
Devin Ebanks:
Trey Johnson:
Luke Walton:
Phoenix Suns
Marcin Gortat:
Sacramento Kings
DeMarcus Cousins:
Marcus Thornton:
Los Angeles Lakers, 2010-11
Tattoo percentage: 80% (12 players with tattoos, 3 without)
The Lakers have three players without tattoos: European Pau Gasol (who got respect from Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for avoiding ink); lovable nerd Andrew Bynum (“when I’m 50, I might not want something written on my arm”); and 38-year old veteran Theo Ratliff. The other 4/5th of the team is a ridiculously diverse collection of dudes, but they all have some tattoos.
—
Players with tattoos:
Ron Artest
Artest has the name “Quanisha” tattooed on his bicep, a tribute to his sister who died as an infant.
Matt Barnes
Barnes is one of those guys whose tattoos have started to overlap and become uncountable. In 2008, he explained in an interview: “Seriously, I have no idea how many I have. I got my first tattoo when I was 17, so I’m 11 years into getting tattoos.”
Steve Blake
On the Lakers blog, Blake dropped a bombshell while playing the game Would You Rather: “I do have one tattoo, but it’s not visible to the public eye.”
Shannon Brown
Brown has tattoos on both arms. Also his wife Monica has his name tattooed on her wrist.
Kobe Bryant
Bryant laced his daughter, wife, and God on his right arm.
Derrick Caracter
Caracter has a tattoo on his left shoulder.
Devin Ebanks
Ebanks’ high school coach used to say “Make shots, not excuses,” a phrase that resonated deeply enough that two players on the team wanted to make it permanent. “He was going to get the tattoo, but I stole it,” Ebanks said in a Times West Virginian article, referring to a teammate who intended to have the phrase tattooed on his arm. “I got it before he did.”
Derek Fisher
Fish has a couple of Chinese characters tattooed on his right forearm that translate to “to be faithful in heart, mind, and spirit.”
Trey Johnson
Johnson has a tattoo on his left shoulder.
Lamar Odom
When it comes to tattoos, Odom keeps it simple: “My tattoos are just reminders of people who are close to me.”
Joe Smith
Among Smith’s tattoos is the following text on his forearm: “Only God can judge me. Rest in Peace MS2.” The text is a tribute combining the initials and jersey number of his former Timberwolves teammate Malik Sealy who was killed by a drunk driver in 2000. Former teammate Kevin Garnett has the same tribute on his arm.
Luke Walton
Better just to leave it in Walton’s own words: “The first one I got here, I got in college, and I got the Grateful Dead skeletons but with basketballs instead of canes and hats.”
Players without tattoos:
Andrew Bynum
Pau Gasol
Theo Ratiff
