Phoenix Suns, 2012-13
Tattoo percentage: 67% (10 players with tattoos, 5 without)
In the biggest single-year jump in the past three years, the Suns nearly doubled their tattoo percentage from last year.
Players with tattoos:
Michael Beasley
Among Beasley’s many tattoos is the word “H.O.O.D.” on his chest, an acronym for “Holding Our Own Destinies.”
Shannon Brown
In 2009, during Brown’s first season with the Lakers, Meghan Brennan asked the player about his tattoos for a Mouthpiecesports interview. Brown quickly ran down the tatooos on his right arm and hand, which include the word “Believe,” “Proverbs 3: 5-6” (although not the proverb text itself); his initials “SB,” and his mother’s name, “Sandra.”
Channing Frye
A 2013 profile in the Oregonian discusses the tattoo on Frye’s right forearm. It’s a pretty complicated narrative:
“His idyllic scene is etched on the inside of his right forearm, where his favorite tattoo depicts a mountain with several steps leading up to a rising sun. It is a place of esteem, for to reach the top, where the view is far-reaching and the sun rays stretch like exclamation points, one must overcome the steps of Doubt, Yourself, Fear, Hate, Lies and Envy, before reaching Happiness.”
Diante Garrett
While still at Iowa State, Garrett was interviewed about his tattoos by the Des Moines Register. He discusses all of his tattoos, including his parents’ names, the phrase “Carpe Diem,” and his first tattoo, a gift-wrapped basketball with the text “God’s Gift.”
Marcin Gortat
During his second season in the NBA, Gortat made it to the finals as a backup center for the Magic. On the magnified stage of the championship round, it came to the attention of his sponsor, Reebok, that Gortat had Nike’s Michael Jordan Jumpman logo tattooed on his ankle. They requested that he wear long socks to cover the rival logo, or efface it with makeup. Gortat refused: “I’ve heard from other people that even other players, if they don’t know my name, they know I’m the big white guy with the Jordan tattoo. I like that. Reebok will have to get used to that.” Gortat is no longer sponsored by Reebok.
Hamed Haddadi
The NBA’s first Iranian player has a stylized dragon tattooed on his left shoulder.
Marcus Morris
Morris and his twin brother, Markieff Morris, share identical tattoo designs, including one that reads “FOE” which stands for Family Over Everything; one that reads “Death is a Promise”; and one that reads “Twin Towers.”
Markieff Morris
[see above]
Jermaine O’Neal
O’Neal’s right shoulder features a muscular figure surrounded by the text “Year of the Resurrection.” Asked about the tattoo in 2011, O’Neal couldn’t remember when or where he got it, stressing instead that the tattoo isn’t fixed to one year, but constantly refreshes: “It better be this year… I look at it like every year has been a resurrection year — being challenged, being knocked down and getting back up – but I’ve had a lot of trials and tribulations this year.”
P.J. Tucker
Tucker has tattoos on both arms.
Players without tattoos:
Goran Dragic
Jared Dudley
Wes Johnson
Kendall Marshall
Luis Scola
Phoenix Suns, 2011-12
Tattoo percentage: 38% (5 players with tattoos, 8 players without)
The Suns’ tattoo percentage is a touch higher than last year. Also, I no longer think Steve Nash has a maple leaf tattooed over his heart. A little embarrassed about that still.
Players with tattoos:
Shannon Brown
Brown has tattoos on both arms. Also his wife Monica has his name tattooed on her wrist.
Channing Frye
Frye has tattoos on both arms.
Marcin Gortat
During his second season in the NBA, Gortat made it to the finals as a backup center for the Magic. On the magnified stage of the championship round, it came to the attention of his sponsor, Reebok, that Gortat had Nike’s Michael Jordan Jumpman logo tattooed on his ankle. They requested that he wear long socks to cover the rival logo, or efface it with makeup. Gortat refused: “I’ve heard from other people that even other players, if they don’t know my name, they know I’m the big white guy with the Jordan tattoo. I like that. Reebok will have to get used to that.” Gortat is no longer sponsored by Reebok.
Markieff Morris
Morris was selected by the Phoenix Suns with the 13th pick in the 2011 NBA draft. His twin brother, Marcus Morris, was taken by Houston with the 14th pick. This is the first year these identical twins have played apart, after years together in youth leagues, high school, and three years with the Kansas Jayhawks. They even had the same major (American Studies) at college. The pair also share identical tattoo designs, including one that reads “FOE” which stands for Family Over Everything; one that reads “Death is a Promise”; and one that reads “Twin Towers.”
Sebastian Telfair
On Telfair’s back is tattooed the words “LUCKY ME,” a reference to the Jay Z song of the same name.
Players without tattoos:
Josh Childress
Jared Dudley
Grant Hill: Hill wouldn’t want any tattoos because he is a long-term thinker: “Ten, 15 years from now, I don’t want to look back and go, ‘What was I thinking?’”
Robin Lopez: In a 2009 Phoenix New Times article, Lopez explained that he doesn’t have any tattoos, but respects them: “I don’t have anything against it. It’s a unique way for people to express themselves. Being an artist myself, I can appreciate that.”
Steve Nash: A 2009 article quotes Nash as saying he’d “never had the urge to get one,” but elaborated that if he did get one, it would be “a tribal pattern on his arm, from shoulder to elbow.”
Ronnie Price
Michael Redd
Hakim Warrick
No longer on roster:
Garret Siler: no tattoos
A look at the draft
Until the 2011-12 rosters are finalized, it’s difficult to say what teams increased their tattoo percentages last night. Probably none of them. Overall, there were not many tattooed players in the draft, with only 27% of the first round players having any. Notably, only three of the lottery picks have tattoos—#1 pick Kyrie Irving and the Morris twins, taken at #13 and #14. Over the past five years, at least 6 of the lottery picked players have had tattoos, with as many as 8 in 2006 and 2008. This may be a side effect of the international tone of this draft, or more evidence of young players avoiding tattoos for endorsements, and it probably doesn’t mean anything at all. In the meantime, here’s a look at the first round draft picks with tattoos:
#1: Kyrie Irving: Has several tattoos, including a tribute to his mother over his heart. I think he’s gotten a few more since this photo was taken.
#13 & #14: Markieff and Marcus Morris: A pair of identical twins that have identical tattoos (and a lot of them) is conceptually complete, there’s no room for additional commentary.
#15: Kawhi Leonard: Has a tribute to his father, who was killed in 2008, tattooed on his arm.
#17: Iman Schumpert: Can’t really get any details his work yet.
#20: Donatas Motiejunas: No photo of the tattoo, but this quote is even better:
Motiejunas drew the shirt back to reveal the tattoo that took three painful visits over a year to complete. The eagle, in flight, covered most of his left chest. It is clenching a basketball and fire streams off the back of the ball. It’s an actual statement of his appreciation of the bird and potential symbolism of his NBA future.
“I read a lot of books about eagles,” he said. “It sort of inspires me. I really like the attitudes of eagles. It’s really nice.”
The attitudes?
“They never give up. When they grab, for example, a fish or something else, they never let it go. It doesn’t matter. In a book, they write they find a skeleton of (an) eagle and there is no fish. It means that the fish beat him and killed him, but he didn’t let go.”
#21: Nolan Smith: Has a tattoo of his father’s face on his right arm.
#25: Marshon Brooks: Yes to a winged basketball
Phoenix Suns, 2012-13
Tattoo percentage: 67% (10 players with tattoos, 5 without)
In the biggest single-year jump in the past three years, the Suns nearly doubled their tattoo percentage from last year.
Players with tattoos:
Michael Beasley
Among Beasley’s many tattoos is the word “H.O.O.D.” on his chest, an acronym for “Holding Our Own Destinies.”
Shannon Brown
In 2009, during Brown’s first season with the Lakers, Meghan Brennan asked the player about his tattoos for a Mouthpiecesports interview. Brown quickly ran down the tatooos on his right arm and hand, which include the word “Believe,” “Proverbs 3: 5-6” (although not the proverb text itself); his initials “SB,” and his mother’s name, “Sandra.”
Channing Frye
A 2013 profile in the Oregonian discusses the tattoo on Frye’s right forearm. It’s a pretty complicated narrative:
“His idyllic scene is etched on the inside of his right forearm, where his favorite tattoo depicts a mountain with several steps leading up to a rising sun. It is a place of esteem, for to reach the top, where the view is far-reaching and the sun rays stretch like exclamation points, one must overcome the steps of Doubt, Yourself, Fear, Hate, Lies and Envy, before reaching Happiness.”
Diante Garrett
While still at Iowa State, Garrett was interviewed about his tattoos by the Des Moines Register. He discusses all of his tattoos, including his parents’ names, the phrase “Carpe Diem,” and his first tattoo, a gift-wrapped basketball with the text “God’s Gift.”
Marcin Gortat
During his second season in the NBA, Gortat made it to the finals as a backup center for the Magic. On the magnified stage of the championship round, it came to the attention of his sponsor, Reebok, that Gortat had Nike’s Michael Jordan Jumpman logo tattooed on his ankle. They requested that he wear long socks to cover the rival logo, or efface it with makeup. Gortat refused: “I’ve heard from other people that even other players, if they don’t know my name, they know I’m the big white guy with the Jordan tattoo. I like that. Reebok will have to get used to that.” Gortat is no longer sponsored by Reebok.
Hamed Haddadi
The NBA’s first Iranian player has a stylized dragon tattooed on his left shoulder.
Marcus Morris
Morris and his twin brother, Markieff Morris, share identical tattoo designs, including one that reads “FOE” which stands for Family Over Everything; one that reads “Death is a Promise”; and one that reads “Twin Towers.”
Markieff Morris
[see above]
Jermaine O’Neal
O’Neal’s right shoulder features a muscular figure surrounded by the text “Year of the Resurrection.” Asked about the tattoo in 2011, O’Neal couldn’t remember when or where he got it, stressing instead that the tattoo isn’t fixed to one year, but constantly refreshes: “It better be this year… I look at it like every year has been a resurrection year — being challenged, being knocked down and getting back up – but I’ve had a lot of trials and tribulations this year.”
P.J. Tucker
Tucker has tattoos on both arms.
Players without tattoos:
Goran Dragic
Jared Dudley
Wes Johnson
Kendall Marshall
Luis Scola
Phoenix Suns, 2011-12
Tattoo percentage: 38% (5 players with tattoos, 8 players without)
The Suns’ tattoo percentage is a touch higher than last year. Also, I no longer think Steve Nash has a maple leaf tattooed over his heart. A little embarrassed about that still.
Players with tattoos:
Shannon Brown
Brown has tattoos on both arms. Also his wife Monica has his name tattooed on her wrist.
Channing Frye
Frye has tattoos on both arms.
Marcin Gortat
During his second season in the NBA, Gortat made it to the finals as a backup center for the Magic. On the magnified stage of the championship round, it came to the attention of his sponsor, Reebok, that Gortat had Nike’s Michael Jordan Jumpman logo tattooed on his ankle. They requested that he wear long socks to cover the rival logo, or efface it with makeup. Gortat refused: “I’ve heard from other people that even other players, if they don’t know my name, they know I’m the big white guy with the Jordan tattoo. I like that. Reebok will have to get used to that.” Gortat is no longer sponsored by Reebok.
Markieff Morris
Morris was selected by the Phoenix Suns with the 13th pick in the 2011 NBA draft. His twin brother, Marcus Morris, was taken by Houston with the 14th pick. This is the first year these identical twins have played apart, after years together in youth leagues, high school, and three years with the Kansas Jayhawks. They even had the same major (American Studies) at college. The pair also share identical tattoo designs, including one that reads “FOE” which stands for Family Over Everything; one that reads “Death is a Promise”; and one that reads “Twin Towers.”
Sebastian Telfair
On Telfair’s back is tattooed the words “LUCKY ME,” a reference to the Jay Z song of the same name.
Players without tattoos:
Josh Childress
Jared Dudley
Grant Hill: Hill wouldn’t want any tattoos because he is a long-term thinker: “Ten, 15 years from now, I don’t want to look back and go, ‘What was I thinking?’”
Robin Lopez: In a 2009 Phoenix New Times article, Lopez explained that he doesn’t have any tattoos, but respects them: “I don’t have anything against it. It’s a unique way for people to express themselves. Being an artist myself, I can appreciate that.”
Steve Nash: A 2009 article quotes Nash as saying he’d “never had the urge to get one,” but elaborated that if he did get one, it would be “a tribal pattern on his arm, from shoulder to elbow.”
Ronnie Price
Michael Redd
Hakim Warrick
No longer on roster:
Garret Siler: no tattoos
A look at the draft
Until the 2011-12 rosters are finalized, it’s difficult to say what teams increased their tattoo percentages last night. Probably none of them. Overall, there were not many tattooed players in the draft, with only 27% of the first round players having any. Notably, only three of the lottery picks have tattoos—#1 pick Kyrie Irving and the Morris twins, taken at #13 and #14. Over the past five years, at least 6 of the lottery picked players have had tattoos, with as many as 8 in 2006 and 2008. This may be a side effect of the international tone of this draft, or more evidence of young players avoiding tattoos for endorsements, and it probably doesn’t mean anything at all. In the meantime, here’s a look at the first round draft picks with tattoos:
#1: Kyrie Irving: Has several tattoos, including a tribute to his mother over his heart. I think he’s gotten a few more since this photo was taken.
#13 & #14: Markieff and Marcus Morris: A pair of identical twins that have identical tattoos (and a lot of them) is conceptually complete, there’s no room for additional commentary.
#15: Kawhi Leonard: Has a tribute to his father, who was killed in 2008, tattooed on his arm.
#17: Iman Schumpert: Can’t really get any details his work yet.
#20: Donatas Motiejunas: No photo of the tattoo, but this quote is even better:
Motiejunas drew the shirt back to reveal the tattoo that took three painful visits over a year to complete. The eagle, in flight, covered most of his left chest. It is clenching a basketball and fire streams off the back of the ball. It’s an actual statement of his appreciation of the bird and potential symbolism of his NBA future.
“I read a lot of books about eagles,” he said. “It sort of inspires me. I really like the attitudes of eagles. It’s really nice.”
The attitudes?
“They never give up. When they grab, for example, a fish or something else, they never let it go. It doesn’t matter. In a book, they write they find a skeleton of (an) eagle and there is no fish. It means that the fish beat him and killed him, but he didn’t let go.”
#21: Nolan Smith: Has a tattoo of his father’s face on his right arm.
#25: Marshon Brooks: Yes to a winged basketball
