New Orleans Hornets, 2012-13
Tattoo percentage: 33% (5 players with tattoos, 10 without)
The Hornets saw their tattoo percentage increase slightly over last year.
Players with tattoos:
Al-Farouq Aminu
In June 2012, Aminu announced via his tumblr account that he plans to add tattoos in the different countries he visits, a sort of commemoration of his travels. He goes on to explain that he’s already begun this process in a way, having gotten tattoos in Atlanta (his hometown), Los Angeles (where he played on the Clippers), and New Orleans (where he currently plays).
Lou Amundson
Amundson’s sole tattoo was described in a 2009 Phoenix New Times article about tattoos on the Suns. That Phoenix team included Shaq, STAT, and Matt Barnes, so the article is mostly given over to their work, but buried in the text is this heartbreaking description of Amundson’s tattoo: “It’s on the right side of his chest and has the words “R.I.P. 34” surrounded by flames. He got the tattoo to commemorate the life of his best friend, Billy Feeney, a teammate at Monarch High School in Louisville, Colorado, and a player for the University of New Mexico Lobos. Feeney hanged himself in August 2003. Amundson doubts he’ll get another tattoo.”
Roger Mason Jr.
In 2007, Mason covered his left arm in a meticulous, richly-symbolic tribute to his father. “There’s references from five different centuries and three or four different genres of art,” his tattoo artist, Grant Cobb explained to the Washington Post. “It was something that kind of needed some work, but it means a lot to him, it was real personal….It was really cool to be able to do something like that for him.” Or, in the words of Mason’s then-teammate, DeShawn Stevenson, “that’s blazin’.” Mason himself feels indifferent to the praise: “”Everybody loves it who sees it, but the meaning is what’s important. That’s why I got it.”
Austin Rivers
Rivers has “M.O.A.M.” tattooed on his left wrist, an acronym for “Man On A Mission”; “G.F.B.” on his right wrist, which stands for “God, Family, Basketball”; and the words “Dedicated” and “Determined” tattooed on the inside of his fingers. In this interview, he talks through each of them and mentions that he likes to keep his arms clean of tattoos.
Lance Thomas
Thomas majored in visual arts while at Duke, using his talents to create posters for each of his teammates. According to an ESPN report, he also designed the tattoo on his right bicep, an elaborate portrait of New Jersey wearing a crown.
Players without tattoos:
Ryan Anderson
Anthony Davis
Eric Gordon
Terrel Harris
Xavier Henry
Robin Lopez
Darius Miller
Brian Roberts
Jason Smith
Greivis Vasquez
Miami Heat, 2011-12
Tattoo percentage: 60% (9 players with tattoos, 6 without)
So glad the Heat picked up Eddy Curry this year so I could share that quote from his tattoo video. With Mike Bibby and Eddie House off their roster, the Heat have a lower tattoo percentage than last year, but their core of tattooed players remains surprisingly similar, with Bosh and Chalmers adding new designs in the off season.
Players with tattoos:
Chris Bosh
Bosh has an elaborate tattoo that covers most of his back.
Mario Chalmers
Last summer, Chalmers had Junk Roxxx of Junkyard studios cover up a tattoo on his right shoulder with a “laugh now/cry later” design.
Eddy Curry
One year, my sister and I celebrated her birthday by getting floor seats for the Knicks/Cavs game. It ended up being the first time LeBron dropped 50 on the Knicks. It was a tough game for Curry, and we sat among a bunch of longtime season ticket holders who were relentless, pointing out how long it took him to get from one end of the court to the other and booing every time he touched the ball. But I have to say, dude is kind of a charmer. In this video interview, he talks through his tattoos with a lot of smiles and a few jokes, including this deadpan: “”I was sixteen when I got my first tattoo. It was somebody’s name. So let’s talk about my second tattoo.”“
Udonis Haslem
Haslem, born and raised in Miami, loves Florida. Enough that he left $14 million on the table to re-sign with the Heat rather than go to Dallas or Denver. Enough that he got a map of the state tattooed on his back.
Juwan Howard
A 1996 Sports Illustrated profile reported that Howard has two tattoos: his grandmother’s name tattooed over his heart, and “Dr. J”, a tribute to his childhood idol Julius Erving, tattooed on his arm.
LeBron James
The website “nikelebron.net” has a highly detailed timeline of James’ tattoos, going back to his high school days.
James Jones
Jones has a tattoo of a basketball on his left shoulder.
Mike Miller
Miller has a handful of tattoos, including a Celtic Tree of Life on his right shoulder, a onetime mystery unraveled by the great blog Son of Sam Bowie.
Ronny Turiaf
Turiaf has some great tattoos including a lion’s head and the letters “N L F” for “Never Lose Faith,” but when asked to describe his tattoos in this video, he goes straight to the Chinese character on his neck: “”Well I have the first one right here on my neck and it means family because I’m a big family guy.”
Players without tattoos:
Joel Anthony
Shane Battier
Norris Cole
Terrel Harris
Dexter Pittman
Dwayne Wade
New Orleans Hornets, 2012-13
Tattoo percentage: 33% (5 players with tattoos, 10 without)
The Hornets saw their tattoo percentage increase slightly over last year.
Players with tattoos:
Al-Farouq Aminu
In June 2012, Aminu announced via his tumblr account that he plans to add tattoos in the different countries he visits, a sort of commemoration of his travels. He goes on to explain that he’s already begun this process in a way, having gotten tattoos in Atlanta (his hometown), Los Angeles (where he played on the Clippers), and New Orleans (where he currently plays).
Lou Amundson
Amundson’s sole tattoo was described in a 2009 Phoenix New Times article about tattoos on the Suns. That Phoenix team included Shaq, STAT, and Matt Barnes, so the article is mostly given over to their work, but buried in the text is this heartbreaking description of Amundson’s tattoo: “It’s on the right side of his chest and has the words “R.I.P. 34” surrounded by flames. He got the tattoo to commemorate the life of his best friend, Billy Feeney, a teammate at Monarch High School in Louisville, Colorado, and a player for the University of New Mexico Lobos. Feeney hanged himself in August 2003. Amundson doubts he’ll get another tattoo.”
Roger Mason Jr.
In 2007, Mason covered his left arm in a meticulous, richly-symbolic tribute to his father. “There’s references from five different centuries and three or four different genres of art,” his tattoo artist, Grant Cobb explained to the Washington Post. “It was something that kind of needed some work, but it means a lot to him, it was real personal….It was really cool to be able to do something like that for him.” Or, in the words of Mason’s then-teammate, DeShawn Stevenson, “that’s blazin’.” Mason himself feels indifferent to the praise: “”Everybody loves it who sees it, but the meaning is what’s important. That’s why I got it.”
Austin Rivers
Rivers has “M.O.A.M.” tattooed on his left wrist, an acronym for “Man On A Mission”; “G.F.B.” on his right wrist, which stands for “God, Family, Basketball”; and the words “Dedicated” and “Determined” tattooed on the inside of his fingers. In this interview, he talks through each of them and mentions that he likes to keep his arms clean of tattoos.
Lance Thomas
Thomas majored in visual arts while at Duke, using his talents to create posters for each of his teammates. According to an ESPN report, he also designed the tattoo on his right bicep, an elaborate portrait of New Jersey wearing a crown.
Players without tattoos:
Ryan Anderson
Anthony Davis
Eric Gordon
Terrel Harris
Xavier Henry
Robin Lopez
Darius Miller
Brian Roberts
Jason Smith
Greivis Vasquez
Miami Heat, 2011-12
Tattoo percentage: 60% (9 players with tattoos, 6 without)
So glad the Heat picked up Eddy Curry this year so I could share that quote from his tattoo video. With Mike Bibby and Eddie House off their roster, the Heat have a lower tattoo percentage than last year, but their core of tattooed players remains surprisingly similar, with Bosh and Chalmers adding new designs in the off season.
Players with tattoos:
Chris Bosh
Bosh has an elaborate tattoo that covers most of his back.
Mario Chalmers
Last summer, Chalmers had Junk Roxxx of Junkyard studios cover up a tattoo on his right shoulder with a “laugh now/cry later” design.
Eddy Curry
One year, my sister and I celebrated her birthday by getting floor seats for the Knicks/Cavs game. It ended up being the first time LeBron dropped 50 on the Knicks. It was a tough game for Curry, and we sat among a bunch of longtime season ticket holders who were relentless, pointing out how long it took him to get from one end of the court to the other and booing every time he touched the ball. But I have to say, dude is kind of a charmer. In this video interview, he talks through his tattoos with a lot of smiles and a few jokes, including this deadpan: “”I was sixteen when I got my first tattoo. It was somebody’s name. So let’s talk about my second tattoo.”“
Udonis Haslem
Haslem, born and raised in Miami, loves Florida. Enough that he left $14 million on the table to re-sign with the Heat rather than go to Dallas or Denver. Enough that he got a map of the state tattooed on his back.
Juwan Howard
A 1996 Sports Illustrated profile reported that Howard has two tattoos: his grandmother’s name tattooed over his heart, and “Dr. J”, a tribute to his childhood idol Julius Erving, tattooed on his arm.
LeBron James
The website “nikelebron.net” has a highly detailed timeline of James’ tattoos, going back to his high school days.
James Jones
Jones has a tattoo of a basketball on his left shoulder.
Mike Miller
Miller has a handful of tattoos, including a Celtic Tree of Life on his right shoulder, a onetime mystery unraveled by the great blog Son of Sam Bowie.
Ronny Turiaf
Turiaf has some great tattoos including a lion’s head and the letters “N L F” for “Never Lose Faith,” but when asked to describe his tattoos in this video, he goes straight to the Chinese character on his neck: “”Well I have the first one right here on my neck and it means family because I’m a big family guy.”
Players without tattoos:
Joel Anthony
Shane Battier
Norris Cole
Terrel Harris
Dexter Pittman
Dwayne Wade
