Five Best Tattoos in Sports


If you watch any major sports event these days, it is more than likely that the athletes have some sort of body ink. Many of the tattoos have a personal meaning, and some were just a stupid idea that ended as a permanent reminder of their mistake.

Some athletes have commemorated championships with their ink, family members, and friends, but arguably the most common theme in athletes’ tattoos is religion. Many athletes celebrate their religion and heritage with their ink, so let’s take a look at some of the best tattoos in the world of sports.

Brock Lesnar

Brock Lesnar has been considered one of the most competitive and feared UFC fighters in the history of the sport. While his time in the UFC was somewhat short, only fighting in Eight fights over three years, Lesnar made a name for himself as one of the most imposing figures in the UFC world.

Brock is also one of the most dominant athletes ever to enter the squared circle in the immensely popular world of Pro Wrestling, and he is a four-time WWE World Heavyweight Champion.

Other than his incredibly powerful punches, Lesnar may be best known for one of his largest and greatest tattoos. With Lesnar’s move to the UFC came the addition of the tattoo that is sprawled across his torso, a large sword with a brass knuckle handle pointing upwards towards his throat. While Lesnar has stated that this tattoo is indicative of the dark time in his life, it has become synonymous with his incredible power and stature. The sword is undoubtedly one of the most fear-inducing tattoos across the world of sports.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic

While Zlatan Ibrahimovic may be best known for his incredible skills on the pitch, he is also regarded by many to have some of the best ink around. Many know him for his superior ability to score goals, including one of the most famous goals of recent time which saw him launch a bicycle kick from far outside the box over keeper, Joe Hart, to score against England in an international friendly match.

What many people do not realize, however, is that Ibrahimovic’s tattoos are considered to be of such artistry that global sportswear colossus, Nike, actually created a Destroyer Jacket adorned with his tattoos to celebrate his past and future achievements.

Wilson Chandler

In professional sports, some say that confidence is one of the driving factors behind success. While most, if not all professional athletes are extremely confident in their respective sports, perhaps no athlete is as seemingly sure of their ability as Wilson Chandler. While at no point in his career has Wilson Chandler been considered an MVP candidate, he has had a very successful eight-year career thus far in the NBA.

His most notable tattoo covers his entire back and reads “UNSTOPPABLE”. He also has a corresponding picture of the Juggernaut that appears directly beneath the prominent word. While the Juggernaut pictured is just a fictitious character, the idea behind the character is what is most important. The Juggernaut is said to have superhuman strength, as well as being physically unstoppable while in motion. Chandler’s tattoo is clearly indicative of his physical ability and perceived invincibility. While obviously not true, this sort of confidence and charisma is exactly what it takes to be successful in professional sports these days.
Colin Kaepernick

Colin Kaepernick has anchored the offense of a 49ers team that made the playoffs in both 2012 and 2013. While early on in his career, Kaepernick was situated behind Alex Smith in San Francisco for the starting spot, he eventually gained the starting role and led the team to the playoffs. This stretch of great play for Kaepernick inspired one of his most notable tattoos, which signifies that “money is the root of all evil.”

Some may say that this tattoo is contradictory for Kaepernick as he recently signed a 6-year, $126 million contract extension with the 49ers. Regardless of how you see it, it is undoubtedly one of the most unique tattoos in the world of sports. It portrays a hand holding the apple from the Garden of Eden with the serpent wrapped around the forearm and money scattered beneath.

Matt Kemp

Matt Kemp was once considered one of the premier five-tool talents across the entire MLB during his time with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Currently, he is playing for the San Diego Padres of the NL West and has not been producing as he once did in his career. One of the few stellar things that have remained of Kemp are his incredible tattoos that are widely considered true art. While MLB players rarely get a chance to show off their ink, Kemp to this day has one of the best tattoos in the league.

Even though you cannot see it when he plays, Kemp’s incredibly detailed tattoo on the left side of his chest portrays Kemp’s grandfather and grandmother in a stunning fashion. The tattoo not only sits across his heart, but it is also done in such detail that you can see each and every wrinkle that the majestic couple possesses. Even though the casual spectator cannot see the ink, Kemp keeps his grandparents truly close to his heart while he plays.

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