How Chris Andersen, JR Smith, Jordan Clarkson, And Others Got Their First Tattoo

Coming to the NBA comes with financial security for most players. As a result, after earning a few heavy paychecks many players decide to fulfill their wishes. For some it might be owning a private jet, for some, it could mean having dinner at an expensive restaurant, and for some, it means getting covered in meaningful tattoos.

When we talk about players with most tattoos a few names come to mind. Chris Andersen (Birdman), JR Smith, or Jordan Clarkson. We all know that they have covered their bodies with tattoos, but what about their first ones? Was there a specific reason for getting it? More often than not, players have a good reason to get a tattoo. 

Like LeBron James inked "Chosen 1" on his back due to the Slam magazine labeling him as the chosen 1. The list goes on and on. But today, we are here to find out the meaning behind the first-ever tats that some NBA players got, thanks to an amazing video by Sway on Instagram. Josiah Johnson hosted the video as he explained the topic at hand.

"Birdman has just about every part of his body tatted, but what came first? Well, he and his mom went to a New Mexico parlor where the 21-year-old got himself Chinese symbols on his forearms. One side stands for good and the other evil," he said about Birdman's tattoos.

"Jordan Clarkson spent one season with JR Smith then went crazy with his tats," he revealed. "After having none by age 25, he spent 20 racks on them over the next year. How did it all start though? Simple! Family initials on the side of his left wrist. Now he's got plenty of portraits, including one of his ex-coach Ty Lue being stepped over by AI."

Next up is Terry Rozier, who apparently got his first tattoo at 14, "Scary Terry knew he would make it to the NBA. So he got his name with a crown over a basketball underneath it."

"JR Smith had his mom take him to shop for his first tat at age 16, which was a portrait of him dunking. Actually he revealed it was a portrait of Vince Carter dunking, but he changed the number and name on the back. That tattoo is covered now, which is now surprise given a lot of his tattoos are probably covered by more tattoos, which are probably covered by more tattoos, which are definitely not covered by a T-shirt."

Johnson talked about Lakers veteran Carmelo Anthony next: "Carmelo was also 16 when he got his first tat... It was a raven's logo on his arm, which unlike JR, he tried to hide to hide from his mom. She later found out from an image in a newspaper's sports section and tried ripping it off his arm."