Tatted-up NBA generation shoots a fadeaway on its ink
22.05.12
Tatted-up NBA generation shoots a fadeaway on its ink
Photo credit: Larry Hughes #0 of the Knicks shoots over Mike Miller #6 of the Wizards. (Getty)
"Only God Can Judge Me" is the phrase that has adorned Knicks point guard Mike Bibby's right calf for a decade. That defiant message is fading, along with three other large tattoos 33-year-old former star no longer wants.
"I just want to be a little bit cleaner, that's all," said Bibby, who will retain tattooed likenesses of his three children on his back.
Bibby's website still includes a section explaining his tattoos, many of which will remain. But to fans who grew up watching the dynamic point guard, Bibby said, "I got mine when I was young. ... It's memories. And you always remember memories."
In the NBA, where well over half of players have tats, the decisions of players such as Bibby, teammate Tyson Chandler and former Knick Tracy McGrady - all of whom are removing at least one tattoo - represent an inevitable but little-noticed byproduct of a generation that popularized an obsession with body art.
Source: amNY