45+ Sporty Types of Basketball Tattoos Designs & Meanings — Famous Celebs (2019)

Basketball tattoos — that is how true fans can express their love for the game by putting it in their life, literally. The sphere is inspiring indeed, since, after football or soccer, basketball is the supposedly the second most common sport.

It also considered as the game that is played with the most enthusiasm and passion.

This is a game that is loved by the players and the supports as well, and there is no better way to show it off than to ink it in your skin. You will find quite a number of people having a couple of basketball themed tats on their bodies.

Contents:

Since tattoos are not easy to notice you might not realize those that are dedicated to basketball. Nonetheless, here is information about inkings devoted to basketball.

Meaning

There is no any other special meaning of these tats, other than showing full support of the game.

The only difference is the motive of the person with the tattoo. There are some that are applied by the basketball player, to show total dedication to his team. However, others believe that these inkings help to fill the emptiness when the player wears the vest.

Usually, the arm and part of the chest is open when the player wears the basketball vest. So with a number of tats around the body, they look more covered. Though this is not exactly precise.

The player may also have a tattoo of their kit number, to show full commitment to what they do best. There are others that have their customized icons that are printed on their bodies, only to show their dedication to the game.

Other than the player, the supporter will also have inkings as a way of showing devotion to the game. They may have tattoos of a particular basketball team, a player or basically the basketball stuff, like the ball, hoops, or the court.

If the supporter is a fan of a particular basketball player, they might have their image with the ball, or a ball, with their initials on it.

Other than dedication, there are some players and supporters that apply the tattoos only to show the achievements made by a particular player or team. All in all, inkings are applied to show full support of the game and they will be applied in different areas around the body.

Most of the tattoos are applied on the arm, especially on the biceps. They can also be applied on the chest, on the hands and sometimes on the face. The area applied is also a way of showing how much the person is concerned with basketball.

Types of basketball tattoos

There is more than a hundred tattoos that are dedicated to the basketball game and its details. Nonetheless, they are categorized into different types and here is a look at the categories of inkings for basketball.

• The court and its details 

The court along with its settings is a great way to display the love of the game. A person can have the court with its settings drawn on their skin. This can be a way of showing their love to shoot the hoop, or the player and for the supporter, it could be a way of showing how they love watching the game.

• The ball and hoops

Another type of tattoo is that one that has a ball and the hoops. The ball can be drawn when it is through the hoops, or it may be designed with the ball on the rim, over the hoops. The ball can be customized with some fire flames, to show a powerful shot.

This one is perfect for the shooting guards or the supporters that love watching them do their thing.

• Basketball elements with inspirational quotes

You can also combine basketball elements with inspirational sayings as a way of staying positive about the game. This is mostly common to players that have had a challenging situation during their basketball career. It can also be a way of commemorating a deceased basketball player.

Such tattoos are meant to keep the spirit of the game alive in the person.

• Basketball player/Number/Icon

There can also be inkings that are specifically designed, with regard to a certain player. This can be a face of the player, or it can be their kit number. There are also some specific players that have their customized icons, like Air Jordan, the icon of the famous Michael Jordan.

These tattoos are used to show that the person is a fan of that particular player, even if they are not enthusiastic fans of the game. There are also some player tattoos that have been applied to commemorate a player, if they are deceased.

• Basketball teams 

There can also be some tattoos that are specifically designed in support of the basketball team. A common basketball team that has been seen in many inkings is the LA Lakers, which is the team that Kobe Bryant plays in.

Even before Bryant, LA Lakers was popular and many people had the tattoos depicting the team. These tats are basically designed to show full support of a particular team, just for the sake of encouraging them. Though it might be a way of marketing the brand, but you can never be paid for that.

• Blend of features

There can also be tattoos that have all the features and elements of basketball. In most cases, this will be drawn with more artistry, whereby, they will include more colors and other details.

These tattoos are applied to different parts of the body. For the more detailed tattoos, they will be drawn on the back of the person. Some of them will have a colored theme while others will be strictly black.

Celebs with the tattoos

There are several celebrities that have the tattoos for basketball, including the following:

• Kobe Bryant. Kobe has a unique tattoo on his right arm, which seem to be a pair of flamed wings under a basketball rim.
• LeBron James. LeBron is one of the leading basketball players with the most inkings and he has several of them, including one that might be a sign of his current team, the Miami Heat.

• Ben Wallace. He also has a number of tats that show his devotion in basketball.

Other celebs with the tattoos of basketball include Soulja Boy, Shaq O’neil, Lil Wayne, and many others.