OT - Players' tattoos

[Kirk Moon]

I was just wondering, with so many players in the league that are practically covered with tattoos, what is the main motive for this phenomenon ?
Is it some kind of attempt to "intimidate the enemy", or just a point of fashion ?

[tungtwista]

EDIT - Warned

[Kirk Moon]

Uh basketball players aren't the only people who get tattoos idiot. A lot of people have tattoos because it's their personal choice, and everyone has their reasons to get them. i.e personal values, symbolism, to look cool, peer pressure, fashion, etc. Why would body art "intimidate" someone?

idiot ?
not a response i expected, but what can you do, 12 year olds are not forbidden from posting on this board.

i suggest you read a book about tribal body art before you reply in this manner, kid.

[Tommy Trojan]

I always thought about this issue also, where do they draw the line? Next think you know these players will start getting tattoos on their faces. I think the league should draw a line somewhere, but where is the end point? Very hard decision

[bobobolas1]

a tattoo is for life. i wonder if they are thinking about the future. im sure they would say his own sons not to have that s**t in the skin.

[Kirk Moon]

let me add that older posters on this board already know that Im a fan of tattoos and have few as well.
Currently working on finishing my full sleeve

[That Nicka]

Well basketball players are obviously artists, in their own right, and imo their body is their paint brush... Its not like they are ever gonna have to get "real jobs" when they are done playing (the smart ones anyway) so I think they feel like they can do whatever they want to their bodies without having any repercussions (for lack of a better word)

I think a lot more people would have tattoos if they didnt have to have "normal jobs" because I think thats where you get criticized, or can lose out the most for having them... really having a tattoo is just an extension of personal expression

[That Nicka]

For example, we see our boys playing and we hear their stories all the time, so we know all about them... But the occasional fan doesnt, and the players tattoos can tell people a lot about them...

Lamar has his son on his chest and we all know what that meant for him

Luke has him and his brothers on his arm, indicating that they are very close

Kobe has his wife and daughters name and angel wings and a halo to represent them after you know what happened

Farmar has him and his (little sister iirc) on his arm...

point being we see these people all the time, and seeing their tats just lets people know what really matters to them even if we dont know them personally

[CITYOFANGELSX3]

let me add that older posters on this board already know that Im a fan of tattoos and have few as well.
Currently working on finishing my full sleeve

Id love to see some pics man!! I got about 7 myself.

There's nothing really wrong with it. But some players on the nuggets are just covered in them, all over the shoulders and neck. It looks sloppy like that.

[SashAlex]

Uh basketball players aren't the only people who get tattoos idiot. A lot of people have tattoos because it's their personal choice, and everyone has their reasons to get them. i.e personal values, symbolism, to look cool, peer pressure, fashion, etc. Why would body art "intimidate" someone?

What's the problem, kidd ?

Kirk Moon asked your opinion about this phenomenon...
I think they paint their body just to look more solid, but sometimes because of something important in their life, as Jordy has.

[LakerFanSince84]

Fact of the matter....who cares. I watch the game of basketball, not the tattoos of players'. It's a matter of personal choice; some people even perceive it to be like being part of a fraternity or assimilating into the NBA culture as a player. Kinda like how people that defend this country choose to get tattoos that represent their branch of service.

The Problem: This is the reason the NBA has taken an image hit. You see Stephen Jackson, Ron Artest, Shawne Williams, Jamaal Tinsley, Antonio Daniels, Rasheed Wallace and all the other players that have off the court issues. People see their tattoos and their physical characteristics (being African American in particular) and then all the players with tattoos get generalized, if not all the African Americans (majority of the league).

Then to add salt to the wound: the intensity of the players often get the best of them when the begin to use profanity towards referees in front of the NBA's most cherished fans, the Affluent ones. If there is one thing that Commissioner Stern does not like, it's seeing players covered with tattoos whom appear to represent "a thuggish hip-hop culture" curse and use obscenities in front of his rich/affluent audience (mainly Caucasian individuals). The Commissioner's allegiance does not lie with the players, it's with the those that pay money to see them; therefore he cracks the WHIP to implement an age limit to "protect" Young African Americans from becoming Millionaires and a dress code to present them "appropriately" in front of the Masses.

Don't worry, Stern will come up with a plan to take away all the liberties of being a professional basketball player in NBA. Speaking of which, whatever happened to good ol' Cherokee Parks...lol...boy did he have more tattoos than anyone. But I think Larry Hughes is catching up to him.

[Kirk Moon]

Fact of the matter....who cares. I watch the game of basketball, not the tattoos of players'. It's a matter of personal choice; some people even perceive it to be like being part of a fraternity or assimilating into the NBA culture as a player. Kinda like how people that defend this country choose to get tattoos that represent their branch of service.

The Problem: This is the reason the NBA has taken an image hit. You see Stephen Jackson, Ron Artest, Shawne Williams, Jamaal Tinsley, Antonio Daniels, Rasheed Wallace and all the other players that have off the court issues. People see their tattoos and their physical characteristics (being African American in particular) and then all the players with tattoos get generalized, if not all the African Americans (majority of the league).

Then to add salt to the wound: the intensity of the players often get the best of them when the begin to use profanity towards referees in front of the NBA's most cherished fans, the Affluent ones. If there is one thing that Commissioner Stern does not like, it's seeing players covered with tattoos whom appear to represent "a thuggish hip-hop culture" curse and use obscenities in front of his rich/affluent audience (mainly Caucasian individuals). The Commissioner's allegiance does not lie with the players, it's with the those that pay money to see them; therefore he cracks the WHIP to implement an age limit to "protect" Young African Americans from becoming Millionaires and a dress code to present them "appropriately" in front of the Masses.

Don't worry, Stern will come up with a plan to take away all the liberties of being a professional basketball player in NBA. Speaking of which, whatever happened to good ol' Cherokee Parks...lol...boy did he have more tattoos than anyone. But I think Larry Hughes is catching up to him.

but the question is, what makes the tattoos so appealing suddenly?
its a matter of the last 5-6 years, that you see basically 90% of the players covered with ink.
there was always this topic of "young millionaires" or a dress code, but the tattoos thing is a relatively new.
of course guys have their reasons, and everything is personal, but i wonder, why the tattoos of all the ways to express yourself?
and another thing, I would really like to keep this topic clean of the race issues.

[LakerFanSince84]

It's a younger generation of basketball players. Like one person said, It's not like the atheletes of today will ever have to work a real job, unless it's for ESPN and at that point, they'll cover up.

Allen Iverson is the poster child for braided hair in the NBA. I guess you can say he started the "new" trend of tattoos as well.

[LakerFanSince84]

Race is real, race is learned, and it's apart of everyday life; therefore, race cannot be ignored. I do not believe my comments were offensive to anyone, but if they were then I apologize

[doozyj]

To be honest again IMHO,

Although tats have always been associated before our times as those who were tough, crazy, social outcast, but in the NBA I think it really does originate from Dennis Rodman, the great player to shock the league with his playing on the court and even more so his image on the court. This guy had tons of tats, which kind of reflected him as being a rebel, you know a "bad ass". A genuine tough guy, outcast who didn't care what others thought of him.

Then it seemed to trickle down from there to the thugs ie Allen Iverson (when younger), with tats on the neck to say "hey everyone, I am in the NBA but I been around, I came from the hood", however if I recall he never had that many tats or any at all when he went to Georgetown.

The way I see it, it is more of a coming of passage, a new era in their life, a NBA star. The "I made it, I am a bad ass player and going to show how bad ass I am on the court with my playing skills and my image! I know I will get some tats! That will show them!"

Sadly it's been done, and now it is just a watered down meaningless form of expression as some said earlier. "Who cares about them?"

........I sure don't.

Again IMHO.

[LA-LA-Land]

as kirk mentioned, similar to the tribal markings of the native americans they were meant to be a source of intimidation. it is always more frightening to fight someone with conviction and willingness to die rather than a hired gun. thats the historical part of it anyways.

imho. tattoos nowadays are self-inflicted scars that remind ppl of what they love, believe in, would fight for. im going on a reach here by saying in this day and age, ppl are finding it more and more necessary to have a constant reminder of their beliefs and personal identities with the flood of ideas and criticisms that are side effects of the changing times.

basically bottoms out to the point that its nice to think about what means most to u and how u express it