The Hitchhiker's Guide to NBA Tattoos

The most of the NBA players has at least one tattoo: some are visible, others less and others are scattered all over the player's body, but the most common characteristic it’s their ugliness, uselessness and, some of them, even wrong! We have tracked down the most interesting ones.

 

Religious tattoos

The religious theme is among the most recurrent ones, for unknown reasons. 

 

Matt Barnes

Two hands are joint in prayer with Goku's kaioken's aura all around and the word "Believe" in the background. Barnes has always been always protagonist of episodes of domestic violence and in field he has never been reluctant to remove the hand, so…

 

Stephen Jackson

This tattoo is a serious attempt to mine, and perhaps also to yours, mental health: it is one of the greatest contradictions ever seen on the skin of a man. Jackson, another evil on field, when he was asked for an opinion, responded: "I pray I never have to use it again." "Again."  There is no other explanation if not that these two tattoos are totally borrowed by a personal vision of religions and of the message.

 

LaMarcus Aldridge

Aldridge has overacted. A double religious tribute on the two-headed brachial: to the left, as is seen in the picture, we find once more a pair of hands joint in prayer with the usual aura of mysticism and, down lower, the word "Faith." On the right arm, we find a big cross decorated by a crown of laurel with writing instead "Keep God First”.

 

Kevin Durant

Watching Kevin Durant for the very first time, whoever would be deceived: the n°35 of the Warriors has his arms clean but he is perhaps one of the greatest victims of the villainous approach that NBA players have to the world of tattoos. His tattoo features a whole passage of the Bible, a cherub and a portrait of Jesus Christ.

 

Stromile Swift

"A God's gift": probably this is one of the ugliest tattoos of the whole history NBA both for intention and realization.

 

Iconic tattoo

 

Allen Iverson

Even Allen Iverson doesn't find a comfortable salvation: his tattoos are ugly at least as much the others. At least however his tattoos represent indeed what he is: "Only the strong survive" a witticism that has almost become a mantra inside the NBA, so much to be replied by Marquis Daniels.

 

Marquis Daniels

Here is as to take a historical tattoo and to make it hilarious.

 

Also Tyson Chandler is enrolled in the community replying perfectly Iverson tattoo:

Other symbolic tattoo of Allen Iverson is that on his left hand: "Money bagz" it is precisely the way in which Iverson has lived.

 

DeShawn Stevenson

Abraham Lincoln is drawn on his neck to celebrate his battle against the slavery. But: why are there two "5" to the sides of the face of the 16° president of the United States? Well, it seems that many people asked him who was that man, so DeShawn has decided to also drawn what mostly made him famous: the banknote from 5 dollars.

 

Chris Andersen

We could never miss Chris Andersen: his tattoos are among the most colored, precise, appreciable and coherent of the whole league. Birdman known how to stylize every stain of ink that has covered him making his own body a piece of art.

 

LeBron James

Which tattoo can be more iconic if not an enormous writing on the shoulders of LeBron James that remembers us to be: The chosen One?

 

Love tattoos

 

Steph Curry

Steph Curry has a "A" on the ring finger to bring with him a thought of his (Ayesha) during the NBA games.

 

Monta Ellis

Ellis has an enormous tattoo that covers him the whole breast: the writing towers "Family first" with nearby the face of a child.

 

Kenyon Martin

Kenyon Martin has the lips of his girl Triscia on his neck. Well now his ex girlfriend Triscia. 

 

Kobe Bryant

It is someway a paradox to see Kobe Bryant tattooed with the name of another person, yet the n°24 has decided to create such affront: a crown with some forms that remember a butterfly and the name of his wife above.

 

Absurd tattoos

 

Andrej Kirilenko

Well, this is the tattoo of Kirilenko in his entirety: I have labored to understand what it was but I’m not 100% sure cause is difficult to realize if it is tattoo well done or not.

 

Wilson Chandler

Wilson Chandler (as Andersen and JR Smith) would deserve a focus very deepened given the huge quantity of ink engraved on his body: his more unbelievable tattoo covers entirely his back with Juggernaut (a Marvel hero).

 

Marquis Daniels

Daniels has a tattoo with those that should be his Chinese initials, the problem is that is not possible translate your own initials in Chinese and so that Daniels now has written on his arms "to greet", "woman" and "roof."

 

Tim Duncan

Seriously, Tim?