Inked NBA

Jumping into this week talking about the first NBA tattoo I remember noticing on the court and the most impactful piece that led to the start of the page. Rounding up all the new ink we’ve seen in the last week and breaking down each of the pieces and my thoughts.

National Championship talk leads to the question “Should you wait till you made it to get tatted?” Ending with a roundup of the NBA week and the Lakers failed season

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Welcome to our March Madness in the NBA tattoo world. Starting with a breakdown of the InkedNBA March Madness tournament results, talking surprises, and overall opinion. We then switch gears and talk about some of the best-tattooed teams to grace the hardwood - bringing up teams like the 09’ Nuggets and the 21’ Hornets.

Discussing the overall landscape of the NBA going into the playoffs, thoughts on who is looking good and who’s not. Lastly the price of tattoos and the time and effort that should be going into finding the right artist.

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When we think of Derrick Jones Jr. naturally we think of bounce, reliving the alley-oop against the Raptors when he was with the Miami Heat. Not only is he an NBA Dunk Champ he also has some of the best ink in the league. From his first tattoo to working with his current artist from Phoenix, Jones talks us through the process from start to finish. Finally, we touch on the Dunk Contest and what it needs to regain its prestige.

Go check out the Tattoo Balm brought to you by our sponsor EIR NYC! Use promo INKEDNBA at checkout for 20% off!

https://eirnyc.com/products/tattoo-balm?_pos=1&_sid=94e37b9c3&_ss=r

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Never an empty clip, Devonté Green AKA “Unlimited Ammo” talks about the most viral basketball tattoo of all time, his GTA San Andreas “Unlimited Ammo” cheat code tat. Green's tattoo went viral after a fan realized the ink during a game in his college days. Green then talks about his love for Anime, Cartoons and Comics and breaks down his pop culture inspired sleeve.

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One of the Swaggiest females on earth Courtney Williams talks about the origin of her self-expression and style. Courtney breaks down why she first got tatted and how she’s learnt to be patient with her ink over the years, explaining that in college you “get what you get” vs when you get real money you can “rock out.”

Courtney gives us a breakdown of the difficulty of getting tattooed being a female hooper, explaining that there really is no off-season. It’s WNBA straight to overseas. She explains you have to “Get in where you can fit in”.

Go check out the Tattoo Balm brought to you by our sponsor EIR NYC! Use promo INKEDNBA at checkout for 20% off! https://eirnyc.com/products/tattoo-balm?_pos=1&_sid=94e37b9c3&_ss=r

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J Smoove in the building! Josh Smith jumps on the pod and talks about having to wait to get his first tattoo because of his parent's rules. Smith born and raised in Georgia has plenty of ink dedicated to his home state, from an outline of the state to a Hawks logo Smith covers it all.

Smith talks about how he met and built a relationship with legendary artist Steve Wiebe then shares how he spent over $65,000 on his tattoos.

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Jumping into things this week with a check-in. Talking about future plans for upcoming episodes and the “Tattoo Artist React” series. Breaking down all the trades so far and why the Kings will regret trading away the goat Tyrese. Then diving into all your questions regarding NBA tattoos and origins about the page.

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Everyone’s favorite trainer Chris Brickley brings us into the most famous gym in the world. From Lebron to J-Cole everyone has come thru to hoop. Brickley talks about his discovery of InkedNBA and how he’s watched the growth first hand. Brickley breaks down what tattoos mean to him, talking about his most meaningful pieces and the life story they truly are.

Brickley then talks about his infamous portraits, explaining the importance and meaning behind them all. From Jason Williams to Kurt Cobain, Brickley is inspired by those who break barriers.

Ending with more general questions Brickley talks about the famous BlackOps runs and the music that’s played while training rappers.

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Tatted from literally head to toe, Amir Johnson has been considered a trendsetter in the NBA tattoo culture. Being one of the first guys in the league to go neck down with his ink. Johnson went straight from high school to the league and was engulfed into a fully veteran Pistons team. Amir’s NBA career began in 2005 before tattoos gained real popularity in the league. Johnson recalls guys having ink but not much. Johnson started with his “family tats” that were considered a tradition among other Westchester high school basketball players, to then seeing inspiration from pop culture and comics. Amir has an entire collection of superhero tattoos and is all for pop culture translating to ink. He believes he’s one of the first to showcase his pop culture influences through his ink.

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Tatted out the womb. Ty has always felt artsy and creative, often compared to Allen Iverson she has paved the way for fashion, culture, and tattoos in the basketball world. Her influence and presence carry weight. When she looks at fashion and tattoos they’re synonymous with the culture of basketball and go hand in hand. With over a hundred tattoos and no signs of slowing down, we cant wait to see what’s next for Ty.

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The InkedNBA Hall of Famer himself, welcome Brandon Jennings!

When he left high school for Rome, Italy to become a pro, he found inspiration everywhere, from the graffiti in the streets to the architecture, he saw things through an artistic lens.

Brandon talks about his early days of getting tatted and the relationship he’s formed with legendary artist Steve Wiebe along with the meaning behind his infamous Back Piece. Jennings then talks about his favorite tats around the league today.

The origins of Tuff Crowd (life is a tuff crowd), how hard it is to start a business and the dedication you need to be successful.

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Brand new to the tat game, Myles has always been interested in self-expression and the creative arts. His sister got him started with their matching tattoos, now with his foot in the door the addiction has started. Myles lucked out finding his tattoo artist Deanna James in Dallas, Texas.

Growing up in a strict family he remembers what was drilled into his head about the preconceived notions around being black and having tattoos. Now established in life and within the NBA, Myles has created his own platform and following allowing him to do what he wants how he wants. He touches on how the NBA has played a large role in normalizing tattoo culture.

Now that he’s started stay tuned for one bored summer!

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A familiar name in the basketball world, Shane, currently playing overseas, gives his perspective from outside the NBA and where his influence stems from along with some tattoo stories about playing with JR Smith and Jayson Tatum.
 
This influence starts symbolically with his roots, Barry Larkin, Shane’s father and hero, a 12x All-Star and Hall of Famer in the MLB, and physically, with the roots of his body, on his legs. Done at Bang Bang Tattoos with Keith Hernandez in NYC, they went to work on this two-day project featuring the skyline of Cincinnati his father’s jersey, World Series ring and the Cincinnati Reds logo.
 
As he continues to write his own story, doing things on his terms, Larkin is looking to add to his tattoo story with pieces that represent his journey and time spent in Turkey.

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Markus Howard of the Denver Nuggets talks us through all his ink and the meaning that each piece carries. From his first piece “Philippians 4:13 – I can do all things through Christ” to the cursive font that he handwrites himself. Not only does his faith inspire him daily, but its also reflected through the ink on his body.
 
Markus shares how his family’s heritage are represented - Starting with the Puerto Rican flag representing his mother, to the Twin Towers, reflecting on how his dad was meant to be there at work on 9/11, each image tells his story. His tattoo represents all the lives lost and the great tragedy for the United States, but also how much his father means to him and how close he came to losing him.

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Happy Thanksgiving!
 
Answering all the topics and questions from the IG story.
 
I get into why I started Inked NBA, to my favourite tattoos in the league, tips on finding the best artist for you and who has the most underrated ink in the NBA!

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Orlando Magic Vet Terrence Ross joins the pod with endless funny stories. Terrence talks about how he was peer pressured into his first tattoo and was scared of his moms reaction after. Terrence then looks back to his first sessions and compares them to sessions he has had recently. Ross then tells us a hysterical exclusive story about how former teammate and NBA tattoo icon James Johnson would get tattooed before and after games. Lastly Ross talks about what’s next for him and his tattoos, he explains why he’s afraid of getting a neck tat (ps it’s not the pain).

Young star for the Portland Trailblazers Anfernee Simons joins us to talk about how he went 0-100 with his tattoos.

Ant always told others he wouldn’t get any tattoos, so when he showed up to training camp with a full sleeve it was a huge surprise for everyone. Ant wanted to go all out. 

The thought process behind the tattoos are what’s important, that’s what he admires in someone like Dame and his tats.

When we look at his sleeve it draws from his upbringing, it starts with the “praying hands” that match his dad’s tattoo to the skyline of Altamonte Springs where he grew up. Everything for Ant is about longevity and meaning.

When it comes to giving the nod to others in the league with dope tattoos Ant mentions Lonzo Ball, D’Angelo Russell, DeMar DeRozan, and Jordan Clarkson.

InkedNBA 2021 All NBA first tattoo team selection Austin Rivers joins us today and covers everything NBA tattoos. Austin gives us a look into his influences inside and outside the game, name dropping guys like Wiz Khalifa and Deron Williams. Rivers then talks about his super complicated routine when getting a new tattoo and explains that he never rushes into a piece. Austin then talks a little bit about the current culture of tattoos in the high-school basketball world and gives his advice to those coming up the ranks. Lastly Austin and Matt end with the reveal of his total cost of tattoos over the years along with a possible event collab.

One of the worlds best Artists Steve Butcher shares his story about the influence Kobe Bryant had on his professional career. Butcher credits Kobe for his work ethic and mindset and explains how Kobe initiated his move from New Zealand to LA. 

Butcher also talks us through the story and process of Lonzo Ball’s iconic “Black Excellence” sleeve. Butcher recalls Lonzo tapping out midway through one of there many sessions. 

We then learn about the industry of tattooing and how different skin tones make for a different art piece. Butcher talks about his thought process behind finding a piece that matches a customer. 

Lastly Butcher shouts out Luka Doncic as a player on his wishlist! 

Robert “RoCo” Covington joins Matt to talk about the evolution of his ink. How he views the body as a canvas and why tattoos are your personal life story. RoCo gets into how he spent quarantine getting tatted along with the explanation behind all of his new ink. We hear about his crazy 21 hour tattoo session, his future tattoo plans, and who inspired him in the tattoo world.