SEE MORE VIDEOS

At the start of this season’s NBA playoffs, Warriors’ forward Matt Barnes showed up with a new tattoo … on his neck. For years, he had the word “Believe” inscribed on the right side of his neck, but for the playoff run, Barnes was inspired to take that a step further, adding a pair of hands around the word to emphasize its meaning. His team was so into it, they decided to adopt “We Believe” as their anthem during the second season.

That’s just one of 18 tats adorning Barnes’ body. “It started when I was in high school as a way to express myself, to express what inspires me,” says Barnes, who got his first piece when he was 17 years old. “I’m one the ’80s Babies, you know? Tattoos are our generation. If you look around the NBA, there are only like 15 guys who don’t have any work.”

Barnes says he doesn’t really plan on stopping any time soon – in the weeks following this photo shoot, Matt added four more and plans on getting a fifth before the season starts. “They’re just so addicting,” he says. “The next one will probably be flames on my right wrist because I play like I’m on fire.”

Photo. Joaquin Palting

Matt breaks down the inspiration and meaning behind some of his favorite tattoos …

“Hands around ‘Believe’”
This one goes with “F.T.H.” When no one had belief in me, I had belief in myself and belief in God. The Warriors got their “We Believe” theme from that tattoo.

“Sac-Town’s Finest”
This was my first tattoo. Coming up in Sacramento, I was one of the top players in all of Northern California, so I had to get this for myself and to represent my hometown.

“F.T.H”
That stands for “Fuck the Haters.” Everyone out there has an opinion; everyone thinks they’re an expert. And a lot of people out there don’t want to see anybody succeed. I got this one after I got drafted and went to the D-League. People were telling me, “You’ll never be an NBA player, you’ll never do this, you’ll never do that.” Look at me now. That tattoo is pretty self-explanatory.

“Panther”
I got that years ago because the panther is my favorite animal. Then I put some tribal art and a sun around the panther to go with it.

“California”
This is probably my favorite tattoo. I actually got it totally filled in right after this shoot. It has the state capital – Sacramento – represented by a red star. I added the Golden Gate Bridge up in the Bay Area, the L.A. Dodgers symbol down by Los Angeles and the beach and palm trees by San Diego.

“Eternal Life”
This one is kind of contradictory. The symbol in the middle is the Chinese symbol for eternal life, but it’s surrounded the flames of Hell. I think they go well together.

“Against All Odds”
I have “Against” on the back of one arm and “All Odds” on the back of the other. There are only 350 people in the whole world who get to play in the NBA and I’m one of them. Says it all right there.

“Only God Can Judge Me”
It’s pretty self-explanatory. I get stuff that I like, stuff that speaks to me and inspires me. This was one of those.

For all the pics of Matt’s INK, check out Dime #36, on newsstands now…

Related posts:

1. Do Dime Pieces Belong in Dime?
2. BREAKING NEWS: Steve Nash, Matt Barnes and Rafer Alston Suspended
3. “Change We Believe In”