Ja Morant just got some new ink during this NBA offseason that not only honors his journey to the league but also commemorates the late Kobe Bryant.
Andres Ortega, the Arizona-based tattoo artist responsible for Morant's new tattoos, took to Instagram yesterday to show off his latest work. Ortega tells Complex the session took over 10 hours, where he and his team worked on the Memphis Grizzlies guard's back and torso.
Morant's new back tattoo features plenty of callbacks to his basketball journey and upbringing, with the states of Georgia and South Carolina tatted by his shoulders, references to the states he spent the majority of his childhood in. Basketball and sneaker enthusiasts should instantly recognize Morant's own Nike logo and the Swoosh at the center, while Bryant's signature logo and jersey number are on the right side. The piece also features the Grizzlies logo on his left side as well as Morant's Crestwood Knights high school team emblem at the center.
The 2022–23 NBA season was tumultuous for Morant. After receiving an eight-game suspension in March for flashing a gun inside a Denver strip club on Instagram, Morant was caught flashing a firearm again on social media, which forced the league to suspend the Grizzlies guard for 25 games in the upcoming season.
While fans won't be seeing Morant for quite some time after the season tips off in October, you can check out his new ink in the Instagram post from Ortega below.
