Great tattoos of the NBA and what they mean

Kobe Bryant's ink game

Just like his game, Kobe Bryant's body art has evolved and taken different forms over the course of his 20-year career.

The Black Mamba entered the league with a blank canvas of a body, but has since added several rounds of tattoos.

(Photo: USATSI)

Ode to his wife

Kobe's most notable body art sits on his right arm, where in 2003 he got a tattoo of a butterfly and crown design with his wife's name underneath.

The tattoo is designed to be a tribute to his wife following their well-publicized marriage issues at the time.

(Photo: USATSI)

LeBron's tribute to his mother

LeBron James entered the league with an already impressive collection of body art, but has since added a variety of new pieces.

Known for being close to his mother, he pays tribute to her around the clock with this tattoo of her name on his right shoulder.

(Photo: USATSI)

Echoes of "The Gladiator"

LeBron is such a huge fan of the movie Gladiator that he gave one of his kids the middle name Maximus, who is the main character in the 2000 epic.

His love for the film is also evident on his body, where he tattooed the movie's most famous line of "What you do in life echoes in eternity" across his right and left biceps.

(Photo: USATSI)

Chris "Birdman" Andersen

One of the most inked up players in the NBA is Miami Heat big man Chris "Birdman" Andersen. Andersen is covered nearly head to toe with tattoos, including this one of the words 'Free Bird' around his neck.

The tattoo was inspired by a failed relationship.

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A bird needs its wings

Another one of Andersen's notable pieces is the set of wings under his arms, which represent both his nickname and high-flying style of play on the court.

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J.J. Redick

Sharpshooting guard J.J. Redick entered the NBA as a clean-cut Duke kid with no tattoos. Redick has since added several, including one on his forearm of the first three verses of the Biblical book of Psalms which reads, "I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord."

(Photo: USATSI)

Redick's new sleeve

Redick's tattoo game took a big leap last year when he showed up to Clippers practice with a new half-sleeve on his left arm. The tattoo is also religious in nature and integrates the four evangelists from the Bible.

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Anthony Davis and his hometown

Pelicans superstar center Anthony Davis made sure he'll never forget where he came from with a tattoo of his hometown of Chicago on his right bicep.

Davis said, "I got it because I love my city and where I'm from, knowing that I wouldn't be where I am without the city of Chicago."

(Photo: USATSI)

Mike Scott's emojis

In this digital world we live in, it's no surprise that some of the newest tattoos we're seeing in the NBA are tech-inspired.

Atlanta Hawks reserve Mike Scott has a large collection of tattoos on his body, about 80 percent of which are emojis.

(Photo: USATSI)

Trendsetting ink

While emoji tattoos are becoming more common, Scott says he was one of the first to start the trend.

"The story behind it is I just use emojis a lot when I text," Scott said. "It's me; it's original. People are doing it now, but no one else had it before I started getting into it. I don't know -- I guess I started the trend. It's a trend I see now but for sure no one had it when I started."

(Photo: USATSI)

Too many to count

Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith is up there with Birdman when it comes to the most tatted up players in the NBA. Smith has so many tattoos that he lost count years ago, saying that he has "in the 70-something range."

(Photo: USATSI)

He really loves Transformers

One of Smith's most unique pieces of body art is an ode to his favorite cartoon growing up. Smith has both the Autobot and Decepticon from Transformers tattooed on his neck.

(Photo: USATSI)

Jason Terry's championship-level commitment

When Houston Rockets veteran Jason Terry was with the Mavericks, he made a decision to go all-in on winning an NBA title at the start of the 2010 season by getting a tattoo of the championship trophy on his right bicep. The commitment apparently worked as the Mavericks would go on to beat the Heat in the NBA Finals.

(Photo: USATSI)

Jumpman, Jumpman, Jumpman

Like many NBAers who grew up during the Michael Jordan-era, Wizards center Marcin Gortat cites Jordan as his biggest inspiration. The Poland-born Gortat took his idolization of Jordan so seriously that he got a tattoo of his trademark Jumpman logo on his calf.

(Photo: USATSI)

No love from Reebok

Gortat's Jumpman tat means so much to him that he was willing to lose sponsors over it. After Nike's rival Reebok signed Gortat to a contract, they tried to get the Wizards big man to cover it up. Gortat wouldn't have it.

Gortat said, "I've been wearing it four to five years now, and it helped me get to the NBA. They didn't say anything about it when I signed the contract, so it's not going anywhere."

(Photo: USATSI)