You knew Dennis Rodman would be the featured image here. There’s so much ink in the NBA via NBA players tattoos, it could power a space shuttle to the moon and back eight times. So many weird tattoos, so little time.
There are so many players with bodies full of ink, it’s difficult to narrow the field down to just five.
And with each passing minute, some NBA player, at this very moment, is probably getting inked up. Like when former Milwaukee Bucks player Larry Sanders got a tattoo and misspelled a word.
The explosion of tattoos in the NBA over the last 20+ years is in no doubt due to two people – Dennis Rodman and Allen Iverson.
Dennis Rodman
Rodman was the first NBA player to sport multiple tattoos, unabashedly, on the court. And even though some may not look great, they look great on him.
My favorite was the sexy woman with a tail on the back of his triceps.
If you have more than 10 tattoos and you don’t have a sexy woman one, what are we even doing here guys??
Allen Iverson
Iverson took a cue from Rodman and continued the trend, to the point now where roughly 70% of NBA players have tattoos.
AI, IMO, made neck tattoos OK for NBA players tattoos. Most of his tats are not colored, and the grey/black has aged well over time, judging by his on-air appearance during the 2022 NBA All Star game.
I always loved his “Only The Strong Survive” shoulder tat. And the bulldog below it just fit him.
Wilson Chandler
Chandler had several tattoos when he joined the league in 2007, and since then he hasn’t slowed down at all.
A big fan of comics (Juggernaut of X-Men fame), cartoons (Beavis and Butthead of all things, next to Master Shake from Aqua Teen Hunger Force) and rap music (an Eazy-E piece), Chandler has dedicated a portion of his body to each. Check out this article for the full break down.
JR Smith
Smith is filled to the brim as far as tattoos go, with some even now spilling out onto his ears and close to his face. Smith had around 70 tattoos “before I lost count.”
Smith actually said about tattoos that he “hated them” when he was younger, and told himself “he would never get like this.” He seriously has no more room to add anything.
He wears a t-shirt so infrequently now that the tattoos comprise his daily attire.
Chris Anderson
Speaking of a guy with no room left for tattoos, Chris “The Birdman” Anderson is in the same spot.
In a lot of ways, Anderson was ahead of the game as far as body art and he has spawned a lot of imitators. I was on board until the “Free Bird” neck tattoo, the color in that thing was just too much.
I had to put a pic of a young Anderson so you can see how far he has come, tattoo wise.
Monta Ellis
Ellis’ stomach tree is probably the most noted stomach tattoo in the NBA. Gilbert Arenas’ was for a while, and Kevin Durant’s tattoos are pretty close, but nobody beats Ellis.
Judging by the pics above he’s gonna have to start working on his oblique tattoos next.
Dorell Wright
About five years ago, Wright was an afterthought in the category of “most tattooed NBA player.” But now, he is easily one of the most tatted.
Wright has 45 tattoos. I wonder if he has more on the “Wright” side than the left? #ZING
Jordan Clarkson
Holy smokes this dude got covered in tattoos real fast. As a dude with a bunch myself I get it. And if you are a million dollar NBA player, why not LOAD TF UP?
The above before and after pic of Clarkson’s tattoos “covered” a 4-year window. As a dude with a right knee tattoo, I can attest to how much that huge peace sign must’ve hurt.
Kyle Kuzma
My fave Kyle Kuzma tattoo is the “100” emoji. I can’t wait to see how that holds up over time. Probably about as well as my friend Beaufield Berry’s “YOLO” tattoo she got on her forearm 8 years ago.
I do like his style of tattoos overall, particularly the homage to his hometown of Flint, MI. Don’t drink the water KUUUUZ! Kuzma doesn’t have much color and the imagery is cool. From the all-seeing eye inside his elbow, to the hot babe on his chest.
If Larry Bird had started playing in the NBA during the last decade, what would he have a tattoo of?
Here’s an idea:
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