LeBron James is a walking and talking ‘work of art’ that he proves every time he takes the court. The Laker is also pretty appreciative of art, dedicating his body to it. Yes, you guessed it (probably knew anyway), it’s his body art. But not all of his fans know the meaning behind the tattoos. No, he wasn’t inspired by the movie Memento, but he once revealed while talking to his pal turned head coach, JJ Redick on their Mind the Game podcast; that NBA legend Allen Iverson had played a role behind his fascination with tattoos. This comes as no surprise as the answer fashionably influenced many during the good old days.
via Reuters
The Lakers legend was big on the ‘influence’ side of things. “You know, Allen Iverson and Steph they were just so relatable and kids felt like they could be them they were their they were guys that was not always counted on they were small in stature and they just defied the odds… it’s like those two are the two most influential when you say the game how they changed the game and the kids.”
But not all of LeBron James’ tattoos were inspired by Allen Iverson. The 39-year-old appears to tattoo the elements that add value to his life and narrates the story of his experiences like the most recent one. The hooper played his last Olympics and to commemorate the massive success he achieved with Team USA, the forward inked the Olympic rings on his right hand. The fans got a glimpse of it from Gangatattoo’s Instagram video. He stayed relaxed while the artist showed his talent on the 4x Champion’s forearm.
In the end of the video, LeBron James displayed his iconic crown celebration. The prestigious rings are now added to his collection of a wide range of tattoos, different messages- some of them are a constant reminder of his roots.
LeBron James’ tattoos symbolizing his roots and family
LeBron possesses tattoos that symbolize all the important things in his life. Despite achieving remarkable success in the sport and business field, the legend didn’t forget his roots. And to keep himself grounded, LeBron tattooed “Akron” and “330” on his right shoulder and forearm. It signifies his hometown city in Ohio and the area code.
His 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡 year is commemorated with the “Est 1984”, artwork which found its place on his left shoulder. Just like his roots, LeBron James is extremely proud of his family and to show that he added a few body arts dedicated to them.
To show his affection for his mother, Gloria, LeBron James tattooed her name on his right arm. He inked it as a sign of respect for the kind of sacrifices Gloria made to raise her genius of a son.
But after entering parenthood, Papa James didn’t miss tattooing his elder son, Bronny’s face, on his left forearm when the 𝑏𝑎𝑏𝑦 boy turned one. For the younger son, LeBron chose to ink his name, Bryce Maximus, on his right forearm.
On the same hand, “B.B.Z.” is tattooed, the initials of his sons and daughter, Zhuri. The arm also has the phrase, “No One Can See Through What I Am Except For The One That Made Me” written. LeBron James separately inked “Family” on his right abdomen, while “Loyalty” can be seen on the other side.
To wrap it up, he added a family portrait on his right wrist. The frame features his mother, wife and kids. Apart from these, LeBron has several tattoos that show his influence and achievements in the game.
LeBron’s tattoos represent his personal taste and love for the game
When LeBron James goes shirtless during his training, the words on his upper back that catch the eye are “Chosen 1”. On being asked what motivated him to get the tattoo after his rookie season, the hoops legend said, “It was a magazine, a local magazine. My sophomore year actually used that on one of the clippings after one of my games. They were like, is this kid the chosen one? You know? And I was like, oh, that’s pretty cool. I mean, I don’t know if I am, but it sounds cool.”
USA Today via Reuters
On his chest, LeBron James has a tattoo of a lion that has wings. The winged beast resembles the logo of the Boule Group, a secretive society of elite black men. That is accompanied by a crowned lion as well on his right biceps, just below Gloria’s name. Now, we all know that the animal is recognized as a symbol of strength, courage and leadership – qualities that LeBron has, which are evident throughout his illustrious NBA career. So, the king of basketball can certainly relate to the king of the jungle and hence the tattoos. LBJ inked his nickname, “King James” on the lion to make the picture even clearer.
That arm has a beast tattoo with stars at the top. And under it are the words, “Hold my own.” Then there are tattoos that are more meaningful when both his hands are visible. A crown tattoo is also present on his left upper forearm as a tribute to Jean-Michel Basquiat. Like the quote from one of his favorite movies, Gladiator- “What we do in life” on the right arm, while “Echoes in Eternity” is inked on the left arm. Similarly, his initials L and J are on both hands, respectively.
LeBron’s tattoos are not limited to his upper body. Some even cover his well-toned legs. The word “Witness” is horizontally tattooed on his right calf, which shows his passion for the game, and the other calf has “History” inked on it. That cannot be more apt for the NBA’s history maker. Being a huge Kobe Bryant fan, LeBron gave the legend a tribute following his demise by inking a Black Mamba along with a rose with the words “Mamba 4 Life” which has its both sides covered by “8” and “24” on his left thigh.
Both numbers are synonymous with Kobe and LeBron’s homage only shows how he idolized the 5x NBA champion. In case you were keeping a count, that’s certainly over 20 by now. Will we see some more added to that list? Probably another championship win can decide that.
