From Publishers Weekly
For many, the name Dennis Rodman conjures up much more than a picture of a basketball player; it evokes an image of shocking hair, outrageous tattoos and that amazing solo wedding. And while Rodman is unfortunately not featured in this collection of the NBA's most popular and wondered-about tattoos, stars like Shaq and Hardaway share the meaning (or the lack thereof) behind the tattoos they proudly display. Shaquille O'Neal's surprising response to what informed his decision to get tattooed with the Superman logo, his kids' names, Against the Law, etc., is "First of all, I got my tattoos because I was allowed to get them. You better believe I asked my mother first." The "Part 2 Heaven Cent" tattoo etched on Penny Hardaway's left arm represents his spiritual side ("I wanted something to do with Christ") and the "Cent" plays on the name Penny. Jason Williams, on the other hand, admits: "Ah, hell, man. I don't have no meaning behind my tattoos," echoing the sentiment of several other players who have tattoos just because they like them. Closeup shots and honest explanations straight from the tattoo bearers may please and enlighten curious NBA fans. 25 b&w and 75 full-color photos. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.


Book Description
Photographs of the wildest, weirdest and most interesting tattoos of the NBA, accompanied by firsthand accounts of what the tattoos mean and why they're there. Ten years ago, Dennis Rodman was the only NBA player with tattoos worth mentioning and back then he was considered a freak. Now around 70% of the league is "tatted out." The game is played so fast that it's hard to tell what even the most obvious tattoos actually are. And some of the most interesting ones are hidden behind jerseys or under socks. Allen Iverson has more than two dozen tattoos -- some you can see, some you can't. Some are obvious, like his nickname, "the answer," and some are cryptic like "Jewelz," or "NBN." What's on Stephon Marbury's forearm? What's covering Cherokee Parks' entire body? In the Paint takes you in the locker room and as close as you can get to the tattoos and the stories of the NBA. Get under the skin of your favorite NBA players including: -- Shaquille O'Neal -- Kenyon Martin -- Chauncey Billups -- Doug Christie -- Mike Bibby -- Penny Hardaway -- Mateen Cleaves -- Antonio Daniels -- Corey Maggette -- Larry Hughes -- Allen Iverson -- Moochie Norris -- Karl Malone -- Stephon Marbury -- Cherokee Parks -- Greg Ostertag -- Jason Richardson -- Jalen Rose -- Quentin Richardson -- Sean Rooks -- Lorenzen Wright -- Eric Williams -- Jason Williams In the Paint is filled with tattoos from NBA superstars, rookies, and journeymen. And for every tattoo there's a story. The stories take you behind the scenes, on the court and off. Some are sad, some are funny, some are bizarre but they're all interesting. The book has a nearly limitless audience -- basketball fans, photography and art lovers as well as aficionados of body art. In the Paint is primed to be the holiday gift book.


About the Author
Andrew Gottlieb is a sitcom writer. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife and three daughters.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Photographs of the wildest, weirdest and most interesting tattoos of the NBA, accompanied by firsthand accounts of what the tattoos mean and why they're there.

Ten years ago, Dennis Rodman was the only NBA player with tattoos worth mentioning and back then he was considered a freak. Now around 70% of the league is "tatted out." The game is played so fast that it's hard to tell what even the most obvious tattoos actually are. And some of the most interesting ones are hidden behind jerseys or under socks. Allen Iverson has more than two dozen tattoos-some you can see, some you can't. Some are obvious, like his nickname, "the answer," and some are cryptic like "Jewelz," or "NBN." What's on Stephon Marbury's forearm? What's covering Cherokee Parks' entire body? In the Paint takes you in the locker room and as close as you can get to the tattoos and the stories of the NBA.

Get under the skin of your favorite NBA players including:

— Shaquille O'Neal
— Kenyon Martin
— Chauncey Billups
— Doug Christie
— Mike Bibby
— Penny Hardaway
— Mateen Cleaves
— Antonio Daniels
— Corey Maggette
— Larry Hughes
— Allen Iverson
— Moochie Norris
— Karl Malone
— Stephon Marbury
— Cherokee Parks
— Greg Ostertag
— Jason Richardson
— Jalen Rose
— Quentin Richardson
— Sean Rooks
— Lorenzen Wright
— Eric Williams
— Jason Williams

In the Paint is filled with tattoos from NBA superstars, rookies, and journeymen. And for every tattoo there's a story. The stories take you behind the scenes, on the court and off. Some are sad, some are funny, some are bizarre but they're all interesting. The book has a nearly limitless audience-basketball fans, photography and art lovers as well as aficionados of body art. In the Paint is primed to be the holiday gift book.