Inked NBA

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.