The NBA All-Tattoo Team
Birdman (photo. Rob Hammer)
After the Nuggets signed Al Harrington last week, making Denver the most tatted team in the NBA, we were talking in the Dime office about who has the best ink in the League. Here’s our All-Tattoo First, Second and Third Team:
FIRST TEAM
C – Chris “Birdman” Andersen
Not only does Birdman have a ton of tats covering almost every visible inch of him, he also has the most colorful collection of tats in the League. He looks like he fell into the middle of a tie-dye party.
PF- Kenyon Martin
Over the last couple of years he’s become best known for the lips on his neck, but K-Mart is an All-Tat team member from back in the day. The “I Shall Fear No Man But God” on his back is sick.
SF- LeBron James
The tat speaks for itself: “Chosen 1.”
SG- DeShawn Stevenson
This man has Abe Lincoln tatted on his neck and replicated the Lil’ Wayne veins tatted on his face. Not only does he make this list, but DeShawn Stevenson may be the MVP of the tat game.
PG- Gilbert Arenas
I remember when Gilbert got the tiger tatted on his chest, but he’s been killing the tat beyond that one huge wild animal. Between his “Change We Believe In” tat on his fingers for President Obama to his homage to Martin Luther King Jr., Arenas has surprisingly inked his way to a starting spot.
SECOND TEAM
C- Amar’e Stoudemire
PF – Michael Beasley
SF – Marquis Daniels
SG – J.R. Smith
PG – Brandon Jennings
THIRD TEAM
C – Eddy Curry
PF – Larry Sanders
SF – Wilson Chandler
SG – Monta Ellis
PG – Nate Robinson
Honorable Mention — Carlos Boozer, Delonte West, Carmelo Anthony, Al Harrington, Larry Hughes, Tyrus Thomas, Shaquille O’Neal, Deron Williams, Shannon Brown, Jameer Nelson, Terrence Williams, Allen Iverson
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July 19th, 2010 at 3:33 pm
miller126 says:
Jason Williams???
July 19th, 2010 at 3:36 pm
Whatdahec says:
So who started the trend? Was it Rodman? I remember back in the 80s NO ONE had any ink. So who started it???
July 19th, 2010 at 3:40 pm
Stunnaboy09 says:
AI had a lot to do with making it mainstream but I guess Rodman kicked it off.
How about the All-NBA No Tat team. Off the top of my head you got B-Roy, Dwight and a shit load of white players
July 19th, 2010 at 3:43 pm
cp3fan says:
AI started the tattoo craze. And the cornrows. And the arm sleeve. No one wanted to be like Dennis Rodman. Lots of players wanted to be like AI.
July 19th, 2010 at 3:47 pm
Showtime says:
Lebron´s “loyalty” tatoo is kinda funny right now
LOL
July 19th, 2010 at 3:48 pm
whitecollar says:
I think the all no tat 1st team, would take out any tatted 1st squad…
C – Dwight
PF- Bosh (think he may have one on his back)
SF- BRoy
SG- DWade
PG- CP3
July 19th, 2010 at 3:51 pm
Teflon Don says:
theres CP, JJ, Rondo, Durant, Phil Jackson
Is there any player with major ink who isnt selfish/jacker?
July 19th, 2010 at 3:53 pm
Sean Sweeney says:
c’mon Rey. You can’t have teams like this with no mention of the boy JWill! He’s got to be on there!
And it’s always funny to look at Iverson pictures from like 2001 or so…we all thought he was OD then. Now, he looks plain compared to people like Stevenson and JR Smith.
July 19th, 2010 at 4:01 pm
Rey J says:
my bad Sean he made honorable mention because i dk if he even gonna b n the league next year…i hope he is…but to me he the originator for todays prototypical player is AI!!!!!! feel me @Whatdahec?
July 19th, 2010 at 4:02 pm
JJ says:
most of these guys look stupid with tats (IMO), way over done.
July 19th, 2010 at 4:14 pm
Davros says:
Ray Allen has no tats, when asked why I think he said his body was a temple and why would he want to deface it
July 19th, 2010 at 4:38 pm
K Dizzle says:
I remember when that other basketball mag put AI on the cover and airbrushed his tats. That didn’t go over so well. Now, a player without tats is the exception.
July 19th, 2010 at 4:48 pm
Jer Johnson says:
there should be a NBA Tats blog, but it’d be impossible to keep up with the new ink.
July 19th, 2010 at 4:54 pm
Alex "robocop" Murphy says:
How could you forget Stephen Jackson? Praying Hands with loaded gun on torso. There needs to be something said about that.
July 19th, 2010 at 4:58 pm
Curt "Zaddy" Lever says:
The People Who Made This Obviously Drove The Short Bus To School, Because J.R. Smith’s Tattoos Are Way Better Than Gilbert “Gun Man” Arenas’ … OH ARD!
July 19th, 2010 at 5:14 pm
Curt F'n Zaddy Lever says:
The People Who Posted This Obviously Rode The Short Bus To School .. Because, JR Smith Tats Are Much Better Than Gilbert “Gun Man” Arenas’
July 19th, 2010 at 5:14 pm
quest??? says:
I dont think Lil Wayne’s tattoo on his head are supposed to be “veins”….
July 19th, 2010 at 5:24 pm
LMNOP says:
aint deshawns head tats sposed to be cracks?
not tryin 2 start a race war or anything…… but birdman get extra tatstyle props for bein white. ther’s nothing subtle about colorful ink on white skin.
July 19th, 2010 at 5:49 pm
Shot In Your Face says:
All NBA Non-Tat
C – Dwight
PF- Bosh (Gasol close second)
SF- Durant
SG- DWade
PG- CP3
Pretty interesting (and cool in someways) that the arguably best position players in the league all don’t sport tats
July 19th, 2010 at 5:51 pm
s.bucketz says:
chris bosh has a tramp stamp
July 19th, 2010 at 6:17 pm
Rey J says:
@Stunnaboy09/@whitecollar/@Shot In Your Face attention every 1 with the all non-tat team
“All NBA Non-Tat
C – Dwight
PF- Bosh (Gasol close second)
SF- Durant
SG- DWade
PG- CP3″
KEVIN DURANT HAS A TAT…LOL N IM PRETTY SURE CP3 HAS 1 AS WELL
July 19th, 2010 at 6:20 pm
LB says:
All these players getting inked up is probably just a reflection of American culture in general. Nowadays, tattoos are alot more mainstream. How many girls have you seen with a lower butterfly tattoo? How many bros have you seen rocking that god-awful tribal tattoo?
July 19th, 2010 at 6:25 pm
Bryan says:
CP3 definitely doesnt have one. He’s talked about how his brother wanted him to be the clean guy for his “brand” many times.
July 19th, 2010 at 6:30 pm
yoda says:
gasol has some tats on his shoulder blades i think. too bad kobe did those stupid tats. ugly and so not him…
July 19th, 2010 at 6:43 pm
Stunnaboy09 says:
http://lostinthewillderness.com/blog/2010/05/chris-boshs-10-hour-tattoo-session-w-adam/
Bosh has tats. Don’t know about Gasol though.
That’s why I love the All-No Tats team, because when you think about 95% of the NBA has at least 1 tat on them.
July 19th, 2010 at 7:26 pm
Dave says:
people that say TATTED or TAT etc are fucking wankasses. you losers.
July 19th, 2010 at 7:39 pm
jones26 says:
All NBA Non-Tat
C – Dwight
PF- Dirk
SF- Durant
SG- DWade
PG- CP3
July 19th, 2010 at 7:45 pm
datdood says:
matt barnes.
i dunno about monta’s he has his own name or initials on him like five times.
July 19th, 2010 at 7:47 pm
d12 says:
All NBA Non-Tat
1st Team 2nd Team
C – Dwight Yao Ming
PF- Dirk Gasol
SF- Durant B Roy
SG- DWade Ginobili
PG- CP3 Nash
July 19th, 2010 at 7:58 pm
freez says:
what about iverson?? no love for the out of work ballers i guess
July 19th, 2010 at 8:37 pm
dimefaithful says:
Gilbert?? deshawn stevenson has to worst tattoos of all are you kidding me??? the abe lincoln is stupid and he has his damn #2 jersey on his back
July 19th, 2010 at 9:00 pm
Young Sneezy says:
The NBA All-Tattoo Team, featuring ONE GRAINY PICTURE.
Way to go.
July 19th, 2010 at 9:00 pm
patchovan says:
How did Jason Williams not make this squad?
July 19th, 2010 at 9:12 pm
barons beard says:
tats are played out
Kobe has the worst tattoo in basketball history, awful. It makes me cringe everytime I see it
July 20th, 2010 at 12:12 am
nawlage says:
luke walton has the worse tat in basketball history.
July 20th, 2010 at 5:10 am
QazQami says:
richard jefferson’s “RJ” is the worst tattoo in tatoo history.
period.
July 20th, 2010 at 11:28 am
boston sucks says:
Seriously people, the words are “tattoo/tattooed”, stop disrespecting an artform that’s been around thousands of years. You all sound like a bunch of idiots/prisoners talking like that. Btw , 90% of the people on the list have terrible tattoos. For all the money they make you’d think they’d go to a nice shop and get good work.
July 20th, 2010 at 11:58 am
Brickshooting J says:
@ #36: WORD!!
July 20th, 2010 at 12:52 pm
srb says:
Perkins should be on here, for being so dark you can’t even tell that he has a tat.
July 20th, 2010 at 8:45 pm
snuffkin says:
AI should be on the 1st team!
July 21st, 2010 at 12:57 am
Thulsa_Dooom says:
NBA players have to have the worst tattoos of all athletes. Is it because they’re cheap or that old athlete brain lacks creativity?
July 21st, 2010 at 6:05 am
Joshua says:
Deshawn Stevenson?
July 21st, 2010 at 7:35 am
$am says:
Teflon Don:
Rondo has a big “R” on his back (http://athletetattoodatabase.com/Rajon+Rondo) and Joe Johnson has some small tats on his forearms (and presumably a back piece as well?).
I’m personally a fan of tats but I agree that a lot of these dudes are way off in choosing them, especially considering they have unlimited funds. I’m surprised they don’t go to a famous tattoo artist such as Mr Cartoon where the rappers & rock stars get their ink. That Bosh piece was nice, though : )