The NBA's Best Tattoos
See some of the NBA's top tattoos, and see if you can guess who owns each
The NBA's Best Tattoos
Whose Ink Is It Anyway?
In the NBA, where image rules, tattoos have become more commonplace than sneakers and headbands. And these pieces of skin art can range from meaningful symbols to inside jokes. Click through the photos to see the NBA's top tattoos, and see if you can guess who owns each "masterpiece."
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Whose Tattoo Is It?
'Against All Odds'
This ex-Blazer, who now plays for the Pistons, really did beat some long odds to make it way all the way from his rough upbringing to a lucrative life in the NBA.
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The Tattoo Belongs to ...
Juan Dixon
Dixon, who was recently traded from Toronto to Detroit, came all the way from the hardscrabble streets of Baltimore to make it in the NBA. His tattoos help tell the story of his journey, including one of his late mother, Juanita Dixon, who died of AIDS.
NBA FanHouse
Whose Tattoo Is It?
'Vanessa'
This NBA star, who's spent his entire career with one team, added this tattoo to his right upper-arm in honor of his wife, obviously named Vanessa.
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The Tattoo Belongs to ...
Kobe Bryant
Bryant calls the tattoo, "a crown for my queen." He has tattoos of a halo and angel wings above Psalm XXVII on his right arm, and his daughter Natalia Diamante's name on his left arm.
NBA FanHouse
Whose Tattoo Is It?
Bedrock Baller
This former shot-blocking big man, who toiled for years under a hard-nosed coach, has a rendering of the cartoon character Fred Flintstone gracing the side of his right leg.
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The Tattoo Belongs to ...
Greg Ostertag
Ostertag, who spent 10 of his 11 seasons in the NBA grinding away for Jazz coach Jerry Sloan, showed his humorous side when getting his lighthearted Flintstone tattoo.
NBA FanHouse
Whose Tattoo Is It?
'Texas Made'
This rising young point guard has a shout-out to his home state inked onto the upper part of his left arm. Hint: He doesn't currently play for one of the NBA's Texas teams.
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The Tattoo Belongs to ...
Deron Williams
Williams, who now runs the point in Utah, played his college ball for the University of Illinois, but before that he attended middle school and high school in Texas.
NBA FanHouse
Whose Tattoo Is It?
'Fear No Man But God'
This former No. 1 draft pick has some extremely impressive ink that reads "I Shall Fear No Man But God" covering most of his back.
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The Tattoo Belongs to ...
Kenyon Martin
Martin, who was taken with the first pick of the 2000 NBA Draft, is now a high-flying forward with the Denver Nuggets.
NBA FanHouse
Whose Tattoo Is It?
'Black Jesus'
This former rookie of the year has one of his nicknames, "Black Jesus," tattooed in cursive lettering on the right side of his neck.
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The Tattoo Belongs to ...
Amare Stoudemire
Stoudemire, who was the 2003 rookie of the year, also goes by the nicknames "S.T.A.T." (Standing Tall and Talented) and "Air Force One."
NBA FanHouse
Whose Tattoo Is It?
Two Tears
This recently traded player has two teardrop tattoos falling from his left eye in honor of his deceased younger brother.
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The Tattoo Belongs to ...
Larry Hughes
Hughes, who was traded from the Cavaliers to the Bulls, has the tears in honor of his late brother, Justin, who died at the age of 20, roughly nine years after undergoing a heart transplant.
NBA FanHouse
Whose Tattoo Is It?
Scrappy-Doo
This Western Conference big man, who's known for his passing and his jump-shooting, has Scooby's punchy little sidekick adorning his right arm.
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The Tattoo Belongs to ...
Brad Miller
Miller, who has manned the pivot in Sacramento for the last five seasons, is the proud owner of this Scrappy-Doo ink homage.
NBA FanHouse
Whose Tattoo Is It?
'Chosen 1'
This extremely impressive back tattoo belongs to one of the game's top young players, if not top players, period.
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The Tattoo Belongs to ...
LeBron James
James, who also goes by "The King" as well as "Chosen 1," has done everything from play in the Olympics to win the All-Star Game MVP, even though he's just 23 years old.
NBA FanHouse
Whose Tattoo Is It?
Lovely Lady
This impressive tattoo resides on the back of a former NBA player who would probably have been voted "most likely to have a huge naked lady tattooed on his back."
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The Tattoo Belongs to ...
Dennis Rodman
Rodman, a.k.a. "The Worm," was almost as well known for his wild hairdos, piercings and tattoos as he was for his superlative defense and rebounding during his NBA career.
NBA FanHouse
Whose Tattoo Is It?
'Virginia Slim'
This diminutive guard is best known for fearless drives to the hoop, scoring buckets of points, and being a handful both on and off the floor.
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The Tattoo Belongs to ...
Allen Iverson
Growing up in Virginia, Iverson, also known as "Bubba Chuck," "A.I.," and "The Answer," was a standout athlete in both football and basketball.
NBA FanHouse
Whose Tattoo Is It?
Costly Egyptian Ink
This Piston's tattoo gained notoriety after the player who owns it was sued by the tattoo artist when the artwork was prominently featured in a Nike commercial.
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The Tattoo Belongs to ...
Rasheed Wallace
Wallace got the tattoo from a Portland tattoo artist after requesting artwork of an Egyptian-themed family that included a king, a queen and three children.
NBA FanHouse
Whose Tattoo Is It?
Gun-Toting Gal
This former NBA player, and former Duke player, was better known for his free-spirited ways than for anything he accomplished on the basketball court.
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The Tattoo Belongs to ...
Cherokee Parks
Parks, who has the gun-slinging gal tattooed onto the back of his left leg, was one of the NBA's top human canvases during his days in the league.
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Whose Tattoo Is It?
'Believe'
This tattoo resides on the neck of one of the captains from one of the NBA's most free-wheeling, and surprisingly successful, squads.
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The Tattoo Belongs to ...
Matt Barnes
Barnes is one of the NBA's most heavily inked players, while Barnes' team, the Warriors, pulled off one of the league's biggest upsets ever by topping the Mavericks in the 2007 playoffs.
NBA FanHouse
Whose Tattoo Is It?
'Survival'
This rather bloody lion tattoo resides on the left arm of a young player who recently "survived" a trade from the Western Conference back to the East.
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The Tattoo Belongs to ...
Delonte West
West, who was recently traded from Seattle to Cleveland, has about as much ink on his body as any 24-year-old point guard ever to play in the NBA.
NBA FanHouse
Whose Tattoo Is It?
'Stand 4 Something ...'
This player, who played in his first All-Star Game this season, and in front of his home crowd, no less, has the words "Stand 4 Something, Fall 4 Nothing" inked onto his left arm.
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The Tattoo Belongs to ...
David West
West, who made was named a first-time All-Star at the age of 27, is a standout power forward for the New Orleans Hornets.
NBA FanHouse
Whose Tattoo Is It?
The Jester
This colorful tattoo can be found on the right shoulder of one of the game's most serious, and most effective, big men.
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The Tattoo Belongs to ...
Tim Duncan
Duncan isn't just known for being one of the best players ever to set foot on the floor, he's also known for his dry wit and his sarcastic sense of humor.
NBA FanHouse
Whose Tattoo Is It?
'I Slept With Shaq'
This tattoo is not found on an NBA player. But it's where the tattoo is located, not who has it, that is most interesting.
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The Tattoo Belongs to ...
A Diehard Lakers Fan
This random Lakers fan got "I Slept With Shaq" tattooed onto his forehead in order to receive two floor seats for Game 3 of the 2001 Western Conference Finals. The Lakers won the game and swept the series.
