GOTCHA!!
Seriously, I was looking at the pic of Matt Barnes on The Credits and noticed his many tattoos and got to thinking about NBA players and their tattoos. So many have them, and while some are nice, some of them are just, shall we say, interesting.
There's no need to go into the history of tattoos, but suffice to say that for decades only a certain demographic had them. Aside from people in certain tribal areas of the world, those folks were either in the military, in biker gangs or in prison (sometimes they were all the same person!). But sometime in the 70s, tattoos began moving into the general population, and more "regular people" started getting inked, including a fair number of women. I think the first woman I saw with a tattoo was Cher. In the intervening years, more and more women have taken to inking themselves, some on par with many men. I mean, has anyone seen Kat Von Dee lately? I don't think she has an inch of uninked skin left. If she does, it's somewhere not visible to the public.
At any rate, some NBA players have so many tattoos you can't see their skin either. Why is that? I know some of the tats have special meaning, but do all of them mean something, really, or do they get them just to get them? Some examples:
No explanation necessary.
The above is on Gilbert Arenas' hand; he had a prison tat before he went to prison. Do you see the period after "change" on his trigger index finger? I think the artist was dyslexic.
Maybe Duncan should have asked old Merlin for some pecs.
Some folks is just craaaaaaaaaaaaazy.
Looks like Richard Jefferson let the neighborhood kids draw on him.
This is on Shawn Marion's leg and it's supposed to say "Matrix" in Chinese characters. Sometimes your friends are just fucking with you.
What has been seen cannot be unseen. Shit.
Interesting in light of recent events.
and finally
This one is now ours.
I will go on record and say that, while I am not a huge fan of tattoos, I have honestly considered getting one. I know what I'd want and exactly where I'd put it, but I just can't bring myself to do it, although it could be very helpful if my family ever had to identify my body for some reason. I'm of the opinion that if you are going to get a tattoo, pick the name(s) of your parents or your children because those are the only people in your life who never change. Do not get the name of the girl/guy you married or were engaged to. Ask Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie how that worked out.
So, what do you guys think of tattoos, on NBA players and other folks? Do you like or dislike them? Do you have them? If you don't have one, would you get one? Where would you put it? Can I possibly ask any more questions? Feel free to post your own photos. Now start talking!
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