NBA matches are a duel between the best basketball players in the world. However, in recent times, the football field is not just a place where athletes show off their abilities. They also become a stage for athletes to have the opportunity to “display” some beautiful and interesting tattoos.

CNN commented that the NBA has become a place for basketball players to show off their complex tattoos and colorful artistic drawings. Besides, some new trends in tattoo art also come from this tournament.

Basketball players invest a lot of money in tattoos. They often prioritize the best quality inks. Photo: AFP .

When tattoos became a trend

Tattoo artist Herchell Carrasco of Pachuco Tattoo in California said: “When I saw the drawings on Jordan Clarkson’s face, I knew there would be many customers coming to the shop to get their faces tattooed like him.”

Herchell Carrasco has been practicing tattooing for more than 10 years. He started tattooing basketball players in 2017. To date, he has authored many artistic drawings on the bodies of Kyle Kuzma, LaMelo Ball and Brandon Ingram.

Sharing with CNN , Carrasco said that player LiAngelo Ball likes tattoos on his neck. Meanwhile, Jordan Clarkson perfected the face paintings. Tattoo artist Herchell Carrasco realized this could be the motivation for other basketball players to get tattoos on their faces and necks.

A few weeks after Clarkson publicly announced his new tattoo on his face, player Kyle Kuzma also appeared with a tattoo of writing behind his ear.

In the past, talents like Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and Scottie Pippen rarely showed off their tattoos.

However, this has changed in recent years. At the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, Damian Lillard revealed his arms covered with tattoos. Jayson Tatum has artistic drawings peeking out on his back. Tattoos have become an indispensable part of NBA players.

Tattoos gradually become an indispensable part of NBA players. They often appear in visible locations such as hands and feet. Photo: CNN .

The popularity of tattoos among basketball players originated when this art became popular in America. According to a survey conducted in 2019 from market research firm Ipsos, 3 out of 10 people in the US have tattoos.

Tattoo in a visible location

Footballers especially value the quality of the inks tattooed on their bodies. Tattoo artist Carrasco noticed that many players had tattoos made from poor quality ink. After participating in tournaments, players earn more money. They replace old tattoos with new drawings of better quality.

Player Derrick Rose is a typical example. Tattoo artist Jose Guijosa has tattooed the 33-year-old athlete many times.

“When he was young, he had a few tattoos created at a friend’s house. The drawings weren’t very good. When he came to me, he wanted to upgrade and have a better work on the basis of possible”, Jose Guijosa shared with CNN .

Besides some veteran faces, many young players also started getting tattoos. Jose Guijosa made DJ Steward’s first tattoos when the male player was still a college student.

Besides veteran faces, young players also want to have impressive tattoos, using the best ink. Photo: CNN .

Jose Guijosa noticed that young players all want impressive tattoos, using the best ink. This comes from seeing the artistic drawings of their seniors. From there, young players learn from experience and want to use good quality ink when tattooing.

Not only does it stop at the quality of the ink, the location of the players’ tattoos also changes. Tattoo artist Carrasco said many basketball players are interested in getting tattoos on their legs and knees. This is increasingly common.

Besides, Carrasco noticed that players tend to have tattoos in easily visible locations. Few people get tattoos in places like their back, ribs or stomach. Therefore, Carrasco felt quite surprised when player Kyle Kuzma wanted a tattoo on his back.

Tattoo party

The way NBA players get tattoos is also different from everyone else. Some players ask tattoo artists to travel with them. Derrick Rose once asked tattoo artist Guijosa to come to Arizona (USA) to get a tattoo.

Years ago, Carrasco was invited to a penthouse with many young Los Angeles Lakers players to get a tattoo. According to Carrasco, initially, he only contacted one player to tattoo him. However, on tattoo day, there will be many other players there to leave works of art on the skin. “Sometimes the players’ friends or managers also want tattoos. This makes the day a tattoo party,” Carrasco said.

Many tattoo artists are asked to travel with players to get tattoos. Tattoo artist Guijosa went to Arizona (USA) to tattoo player Derrick Rose. Photo: Jose Guijosa .

From events like these, Carrasco has learned from experience. Every time he goes to tattoo a basketball player, he will bring another artist as backup. At the same time, Carrasco sees this as a good opportunity for those new to tattooing.

The fact that players have tattoos greatly affects fans. On social networks, many people often share close-up images of the drawings on the players’ bodies.

The @InkedNBA account has 154,000 followers on social networks. This place has become a photo warehouse for those who want to learn about basketball players’ tattoos.

Meanwhile, some fans have copied the players’ tattoos. At least 100 people sent the @InkedNBA account pictures of tattoos that resemble their idols.