Chicago Bulls, 2012-13
Tattoo percentage:60% (9 players with tattoos, 6 without)
The Bulls increased their tattoo percentage from last year.
Players with tattoos:
Carlos Boozer
Boozer is one of the most heavily tattooed players on the Bulls. In September of this year, he added portraits of his three sons to his legs.
Daequan Cook
Among Cook’s many (10+) tattoos are his daughter’s name and the words “Daddy’s Angel.”
Richard Hamilton
A recent video uploaded by UnFamous Tattoo Culture in Miami shows Hamilton getting a portrait tattooed on his chest. The video also offers glimpses of the other tattoos hidden by his jersey, including the great “Love For the Game” tattoo which features a hybrid basketball/heart (photo above).
Kirk Hinrich
Hinrich has a chain tattooed on his left wrist in honor of his late grandfather.
Nazr Mohammed
Mohammed has his name tattooed on his left shoulder above a basketball passing through a hoop.
Nate Robinson
At the beginning of the year, a USA Today interview included a ton of information about Robinson’s acronym tattoos, including FROG (Fully Rely On God); PUSH (Pray Until Something Happens); JUMP (Jesus Understands My Pain); and GAME TIME (God Answers Me Every TIME).
Derrick Rose
The Windy Apple has a great rundown of all of Rose’s tattoos.
Marquis Teague
Teague has a tattoo on his left shoulder with a basketball and the text “God Judge Me.”
Malcolm Thomas
A U-T San Diego article written during Thomas’s years at San Diego State University discusses the player’s relationship with his daughter. One paragraph describes the tattoo he received several days before her birth: “Thomas had a tattoo added to his right arm, next to the one for his mother. It is a rose with “Mikeala” written beneath it.”
Players without tattoos:
Marco Belinelli
Jimmy Butler
Luol Deng
Taj Gibson
Joakim Noah
Vladimir Radmanovic
Golden State Warriors, 2011-12
Tattoo percentage: 79% (11 players with tattoos, 3 without)
The Warriors’ tattoo percentage went up a bunch from last year. I am having a tough time with the Ellis/Bogut trade.
Players with tattoos:
Keith Benson
An Oakland Post report printed during Benson’s years with Oakland University describes the tattoos on both of his arms. On one arm is his nickname, “Kito” tattooed inside a basketball hoop. On the other, Benson has the words “killa instinct” which he describes as being about basketball: “You have to have the ‘killa instinct’ to defeat your opponent, not just play to play,” Benson said. “You have to cut them off and win.”
Andrew Bogut
Bogut has a tattoo on his back but he’s not really willing to discuss it. “The tattoo is a mix of things, a lot of it is kind of personal,” he explained in an NBA.com chat. “There’s some Australian stuff and also some Croatian stuff in it.”
Stephen Curry
A Sports Illustrated profile in 2009 described Curry’s minimal tattoo: “His lone tattoo, discreetly inked on the inside of his left wrist, is the motto of Davidson, the small college he guided to the Elite Eight in 2008. “T.C.C.”: Trust, Commitment, Care.”
Mickell Gladness
Gladness has a full sleeve on his left arm.
Richard Jefferson
One of the most universally derided tattoos in the league, Jefferson’s left shoulder is marked with his initials, which are circled with some cursive text reading “God Family Brothers Parents.” But like elementary school cursive, not the script that most tattoos tend towards. Also the white space in the letter R is a basketball. Looks a lot like it was drawn for/by a child.
David Lee
Lee has his initials tattooed over his right shoulder blade.
Dominic McGuire
The tattoo on McGuire’s right shoulder, of a child holding out its open hands, is one of my all time favorites. Somebody please interview him and ask him what it’s about!
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.”
Brandon Rush
In November of 2011, Native Ink tattoo posted a photo of a design done for Rush that reads “Truly Blessed” in a really strong script.
Jeremy Tyler
Tyler infamously dropped out of high school to play professional basketball in Israel at the age of 17. During his season with the Maccabi Haifa Heat, Howard Schneider profiled Tyler for the Washington Post, opening the article with a description of the many tattoos Tyler had collected while abroad:
Jeremy Tyler displays his life in tattoos. The “S” and “D” on the 18-year-old’s hands are his roots in San Diego, where he sacrificed a high school diploma for professional basketball. The dreamy Virgo design draping down the left shoulder of his 6-foot-11, 260-pound body, encompassing the names of relatives and a basketball, are his aspiration to support his family through his craft. There is a spot for his girlfriend’s name, the initials of a recently deceased friend, and angel wings on his back
Dorell Wright
In 2009, tattoo artist Raphael Gere Rodriguez posted photos of the “love hate skull” design he did for Wright. I didn’t even know “love hate skull” was a thing.
Players without tattoos:
Andris Biedrins
Charles Jenkins: Henry Abbott reported for ESPN that Jenkins was asked why he didn’t have any tattoos, to which he replied, “You ever see a bumper sticker on a Maybach?”
Klay Thompson
No longer on roster:
Chris Wright: no tattoos
I didn’t include Isaiah Thomas in June’s look at the draft because I only reviewed the first round (Thomas was chosen 60th by the Sacramento Kings). A Seattle neighborhood paper just ran a short profile on the point guard that included this photo of his Tacoma-repping tattoo. There’s a solid clique of Seattle-born players that have hometown tattoos, including Aaron Brooks, Jason Terry, and Nate Robinson (to whom Thomas is often compared), but this is the first Tacoma tattoo I remember seeing. Remember when Tacoma was named America’s most stressful city?
Eric Maynor still going hard
This was Eric Maynor’s right arm three weeks ago during the western conference finals. Last night he revealed how his arm looks today:
The photo brought a lot of attention on twitter, including praise from teammate Nate Robinson and respect from the artist, Randy Harris, who acknowledged: “You took that tat like a true G…”
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
Chicago Bulls, 2012-13
Tattoo percentage:60% (9 players with tattoos, 6 without)
The Bulls increased their tattoo percentage from last year.
Players with tattoos:
Carlos Boozer
Boozer is one of the most heavily tattooed players on the Bulls. In September of this year, he added portraits of his three sons to his legs.
Daequan Cook
Among Cook’s many (10+) tattoos are his daughter’s name and the words “Daddy’s Angel.”
Richard Hamilton
A recent video uploaded by UnFamous Tattoo Culture in Miami shows Hamilton getting a portrait tattooed on his chest. The video also offers glimpses of the other tattoos hidden by his jersey, including the great “Love For the Game” tattoo which features a hybrid basketball/heart (photo above).
Kirk Hinrich
Hinrich has a chain tattooed on his left wrist in honor of his late grandfather.
Nazr Mohammed
Mohammed has his name tattooed on his left shoulder above a basketball passing through a hoop.
Nate Robinson
At the beginning of the year, a USA Today interview included a ton of information about Robinson’s acronym tattoos, including FROG (Fully Rely On God); PUSH (Pray Until Something Happens); JUMP (Jesus Understands My Pain); and GAME TIME (God Answers Me Every TIME).
Derrick Rose
The Windy Apple has a great rundown of all of Rose’s tattoos.
Marquis Teague
Teague has a tattoo on his left shoulder with a basketball and the text “God Judge Me.”
Malcolm Thomas
A U-T San Diego article written during Thomas’s years at San Diego State University discusses the player’s relationship with his daughter. One paragraph describes the tattoo he received several days before her birth: “Thomas had a tattoo added to his right arm, next to the one for his mother. It is a rose with “Mikeala” written beneath it.”
Players without tattoos:
Marco Belinelli
Jimmy Butler
Luol Deng
Taj Gibson
Joakim Noah
Vladimir Radmanovic
Golden State Warriors, 2011-12
Tattoo percentage: 79% (11 players with tattoos, 3 without)
The Warriors’ tattoo percentage went up a bunch from last year. I am having a tough time with the Ellis/Bogut trade.
Players with tattoos:
Keith Benson
An Oakland Post report printed during Benson’s years with Oakland University describes the tattoos on both of his arms. On one arm is his nickname, “Kito” tattooed inside a basketball hoop. On the other, Benson has the words “killa instinct” which he describes as being about basketball: “You have to have the ‘killa instinct’ to defeat your opponent, not just play to play,” Benson said. “You have to cut them off and win.”
Andrew Bogut
Bogut has a tattoo on his back but he’s not really willing to discuss it. “The tattoo is a mix of things, a lot of it is kind of personal,” he explained in an NBA.com chat. “There’s some Australian stuff and also some Croatian stuff in it.”
Stephen Curry
A Sports Illustrated profile in 2009 described Curry’s minimal tattoo: “His lone tattoo, discreetly inked on the inside of his left wrist, is the motto of Davidson, the small college he guided to the Elite Eight in 2008. “T.C.C.”: Trust, Commitment, Care.”
Mickell Gladness
Gladness has a full sleeve on his left arm.
Richard Jefferson
One of the most universally derided tattoos in the league, Jefferson’s left shoulder is marked with his initials, which are circled with some cursive text reading “God Family Brothers Parents.” But like elementary school cursive, not the script that most tattoos tend towards. Also the white space in the letter R is a basketball. Looks a lot like it was drawn for/by a child.
David Lee
Lee has his initials tattooed over his right shoulder blade.
Dominic McGuire
The tattoo on McGuire’s right shoulder, of a child holding out its open hands, is one of my all time favorites. Somebody please interview him and ask him what it’s about!
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.”
Brandon Rush
In November of 2011, Native Ink tattoo posted a photo of a design done for Rush that reads “Truly Blessed” in a really strong script.
Jeremy Tyler
Tyler infamously dropped out of high school to play professional basketball in Israel at the age of 17. During his season with the Maccabi Haifa Heat, Howard Schneider profiled Tyler for the Washington Post, opening the article with a description of the many tattoos Tyler had collected while abroad:
Jeremy Tyler displays his life in tattoos. The “S” and “D” on the 18-year-old’s hands are his roots in San Diego, where he sacrificed a high school diploma for professional basketball. The dreamy Virgo design draping down the left shoulder of his 6-foot-11, 260-pound body, encompassing the names of relatives and a basketball, are his aspiration to support his family through his craft. There is a spot for his girlfriend’s name, the initials of a recently deceased friend, and angel wings on his back
Dorell Wright
In 2009, tattoo artist Raphael Gere Rodriguez posted photos of the “love hate skull” design he did for Wright. I didn’t even know “love hate skull” was a thing.
Players without tattoos:
Andris Biedrins
Charles Jenkins: Henry Abbott reported for ESPN that Jenkins was asked why he didn’t have any tattoos, to which he replied, “You ever see a bumper sticker on a Maybach?”
Klay Thompson
No longer on roster:
Chris Wright: no tattoos
I didn’t include Isaiah Thomas in June’s look at the draft because I only reviewed the first round (Thomas was chosen 60th by the Sacramento Kings). A Seattle neighborhood paper just ran a short profile on the point guard that included this photo of his Tacoma-repping tattoo. There’s a solid clique of Seattle-born players that have hometown tattoos, including Aaron Brooks, Jason Terry, and Nate Robinson (to whom Thomas is often compared), but this is the first Tacoma tattoo I remember seeing. Remember when Tacoma was named America’s most stressful city?
Eric Maynor still going hard
This was Eric Maynor’s right arm three weeks ago during the western conference finals. Last night he revealed how his arm looks today:
The photo brought a lot of attention on twitter, including praise from teammate Nate Robinson and respect from the artist, Randy Harris, who acknowledged: “You took that tat like a true G…”
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
