One of the bigger pieces of news during the preseason in the NBA was J.R. Smith being asked by the NBA to cover up his Supreme logo tattoo on his leg. The NBA evidently is not a fan of branded tattoos being displayed during games although it’s pretty clear they pick and choose which ones to warn players about.
As it turns out, one of the ones they did choose to issue a warning towards is Lonzo Ball’s “Big Baller Brand” tattoo on his right arm. According to TMZ Sports, the league contacted the second-year point guard prior to his preseason debut on Wednesday and Ball obliged, covering up the tattoo with a bandage just below his elbow.
Here’s a picture of the tattoo itself from Ball’s Instagram:
The NBA has a defined rule about not displaying brands on your body and hair but when it’s ignored half the time (Shaq’s Superman logo comes to mind for Lakers fans) it becomes much harder to take it seriously. Not to mention the moral implications of policing what players put on their body when it is not offensive.
Ball, unlike Smith, has not spoken out about the NBA’s warning but more and more players are going to hear about this issue and they will not always be as quiet as Lonzo about it.
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