NBA Ink Fest

I thought long and hard about gettin’ inked up when I was a teen. You know how it is in Southern California, with your elbow resting on the edge of the car window conveniently lowered and forcing the larger part of your tricep to bulge. So it was in 1993 when I left high school and dare I say that athletes from the preps to pros have been responsible for a single-handed revitalizing of the tattoo industry ever since.

I’m not sure what my opinion is on this one though I finally decided against becoming a human mural. Players I coach and students I’ve taught don’t believe me but I don’t have one. There’s a birth mark on my right arm that looks like a cloud. That’s about as close as I come.

What I do know is that the more often you get tattoos the less often you can donate blood. I also know that while removal is more accessible now, I haven’t met one person to actually pursue it. That doesn’t mean I don’t know people who don’t regret the ones they’ve gotten.

Tattoo artists are creative geniuses for the right amount of money they can turn you into a personified portfolio. It’s an inter-industry win-win between the current and next generations of the NBA and the tattoo parlors. Your favorite verse, saying (English or other), image, superhero, deceased relative, etc. can all be featured in front of 20-25,000 of your closest friends and millions of viewers. I’m not sure when this artsy trend began or if it fuels the drive of a Matt Barnes, pictured above but it’s overwhelmingly popular and there’s a good chance that if you’re the parent of a male basketball player, the arms you recognize today could be the ones on the cover of a web publication tomorrow.

Share this:

Posted: by

Category: Uncategorized

6 Comments on “NBA Ink Fest”

  1. I have to share on this one. Funny story. Won’t be able to guess who actually prompted me to not get a tattoo. Can’t guess???? It was Ozzie Ozbourne. Watching one of his shows one time. He was upset that his daughter got a small little heart on her hip. He then tells her that if she wants to be different, then don’t get tattoos. WOW, that was a smack in the face. I had ideas of what I wanted, totally planning getting one soon. THen I realized that, man that is so true. You can’t come up with anything original anymore, someone has what you want and its all been done. Thought that was ironic that Ozzie was the one that said something that got my attention….LOL…. On another note, what about the face jewelry and the stretching of the ears. Peolpe I hope you realize that it won’t go away, and your ears continue to grow in your old age, big droopy ears anyone. I have holes in my ear from my teenage years I am 31 now, it doesn’t go away. Anyways, dropping my 2cents

  2. I have a tattoo! I actually like my tattoo and it was a personal decision I made when I turned forty. I actually spent much time contemplating who would place my tattoo on my right shoulder blade and what I would have on my body for the rest of my life. My tattoo represents personal aspects of my life and myself. I have incorporated my daughters’ initials into the artistry and they like it. My players do not mind that coach has a tattoo nor do I encourage them to get one. I believe that it is a personal decision that one makes if they choose to have one. Yes, I agree that some have gone overboard on what they put on their bodies and I also believe that those people will be the ones with regrets as to what they are sporting but for those of us that have put lots of tought and research into what is on our bodies, I believe that it represents something special and close to our hearts.

  3. i LOVE tattoos even thogh i dont have one(YET) i love dem but my opinion is that depending on the ink it say alot about people..
    love this colom coulter