NBA Tatoos: Who Has The Best Ink In The League?

Who has the best tattoos in the NBA? A question that will certainly yield different answers depending on who you ask. Maybe you prefer full sleeves like Damion Lillard, or subtle ink like Stephen Curry. Or perhaps you hate ink all together, and hold on to the traditional view that tattoos are forbidden.

Societal views on tattoos have gradually become more accepting over time. They have long been criminalized and viewed as ghetto and unprofessional, rather than forms of personal expression. Nowadays, tattoos, and hip-hop culture as a whole are more so celebrated rather than stigmatized, at least in the NBA. However, that certainly wasn't always the case. Back in 2004 after the infamous Malice at the Palace incident, radio host Rush Limbaugh said,

“Call it the TBA, the Thug Basketball Association, and stop calling them teams. Call 'em gangs. You have the Laker Gang, you have the Heat Gang…let 'em strap up out there, and let 'em market their CDs. Instead of selling concessions, sell CDs out there at the concession stand.” While no one disputes that horrific display of events by players and fans, Limbaugh’s comments were extremely inappropriate and out of touch. He never should have fixed his lips to even utter a sentence about Black culture.

Culture and sports continued to grow hand-in-hand, despite the dismay of individuals like Limbaugh. From the music, to the clothes, to the playstyle, and of course the tats- no NBA player embraced that side of the culture more than Allen Iverson. So much so the NBA introduced a dress code banning baggy clothes, chains, hats, du-rags and anything else that wasn’t “professional”. You can read between the lines on that one.

Native to Hampton Va, Iverson grew up submerged in black culture and remained his true authentic self throughout his career. He brought the playground to the hardwood- a demeanor than many Americans were not accustomed to seeing. Some loved him, and some hated him, but his presence was felt regardless. Iverson electrified fans not only with ankle breaking crossovers, but also his swag. The sleeves, the braids, the tattoos. Iverson’s personality was able to transcend cultures.

The iconic picture of the white kid fully imitating AI perfectly captures his impact. Recently, a similar picture with a kid initiating Jordan Clarkson surfaced on instagram, and it got me thinking… who has the best ink in todays NBA?

So to finally address the question at hand, the best ink in the league belongs to 1. Jordan Clarkson, 2. Gary Trent Jr. and 3. Demar Derozan. Of course these are just personal opinions, but these three hoopers definitely went all out on extremely nice work that separates theirs from other plays.

Top Three Inked players

Starting with Clarkson, his full arm and leg sleeves stand out right away, followed right by his neck tat. Clarkson has a series of portrait tattoos on chest and left shoulder that are mixed well with shading and other symbols. The peace sign on his right knee adds a great touch because it's not too heavy a tat, which adds to the aesthetic of his overall work. In contrast to that point, I do think Clarkson went slightly overboard with his neck piece. The area looks a little too congested, but the angels and “sacrifice” are really clean.

Gary Trent tattoos are just super dope! They flow really well with his on-court swagger and his style off the court. His right arm sleeve features a samurai portrait, one of his favorite childhood books,blended in with some smooth shading. What I like even more than that, is the ski mask tattoo on the back of his left arm. It’s beautifully done, and adds more contrast to that part of his arm where it is more so covered with lighter tattoos.

I've always been a fan of Demar Derozan’s tattoos, even at the early half sleeve stage. His work has now expanded to two full right arm sleeves. Derozan has a lot of ink on his back, but his arm sleeves are more noteworthy since they are visible on the basketball court. His ink represents his battle with mental health, reading “anexity” (actual spelling) and “pain” crossed out on his on his right arm. Right next to it is a super dope portrait of the Joker from the Dark Knight movie.

The list of high quality nba ink can go on for a while. Though not in my top three, honorable mentions include Lonzo Ball, Kelly Oubre, Luka Doncic and Jayson Tayum.