LeBron James reportedly has 26 tattoos on his body. Many of them hold a lot of meaning for him.
LeBron James is still one of the best basketball players playing in the game today. This is despite his age (37) and the fact he's in his 20th season in the NBA. It's also despite the fact his team, the Los Angeles Lakers, are off to a horrendous start to their season.
Still, the King is playing, and even though he might not be playing up to his high standards, his level of play is better than most of the other players in the league. On top of being a great basketball player, LeBron is one of the most influential players we've ever seen.
LeBron speaks out on social injustices, using his voice to spread positive vibes. He's a great husband and father who sets a good example for all husbands and fathers out there.
LeBron loves his family, and he loves the game of basketball. What he also loves is tattoos, as he is reported to have 26 tattoos on his body. Many of those tattoos reference the things mentioned above that LeBron loves in his life.
LeBron James is no stranger to the needle. As mentioned, the King has 26 tattoos, all with special meanings. Next, we will go through each of LeBron's tattoos and explain their meanings.
Chosen 1 Tattoo - LeBron has “Chosen 1” tattooed in large letters on his upper back.
Meaning - The tattoo references his first feature on the cover of Sports Illustrated, where he was dubbed “The Chosen One.”
Crowned Lion King James' Tattoo - A crowned Lion on his right bicep.
Meaning - During LeBron's first NBA season, he inked "King" on the top, and "James" on the bottom to showcase himself as the King, which is his nickname.
Witness Tattoo - LeBron has “Witness” tattooed on his right calf.
Meaning - After LeBron's playoff run in the 2006 playoffs, Nike started a campaign where they used the word “Witness” to refer to people witnessing his greatness. LeBron honored his game and where it was going with the slogan.
330 Tattoo - LeBron has “330” inked on his right forearm.
Meaning - “330” refers to Akron, Ohio's area code, which is LeBron's hometown.
What we do in Life Echoes in Eternity Tattoo - LeBron has “What we do in life” tattooed on his right arm and "echoes in eternity" on his left arm.
Meaning - LeBron has this quote, with the meaning that whatever we do has implications, and the quote is from his favorite movie, Gladiator.
Gifted Child Tattoo - LeBron has “Gifted Child” tattooed on his chest in small letters.
Meaning - Unknown.
No one can see through what I am except for the one that made me Tattoo - LeBron has this saying tattooed on the inside of his right forearm.
Meaning - Unknown.
Gloria Tattoo - LeBron has the name “Gloria” tattooed on his right arm, above his Crowned Lion tattoo.
Meaning - This tattoo is the name of his mother, Gloria James.
Beast Tattoo - LeBron has “Beast” tattooed on his left bicep.
Meaning - Unknown.
Hold My Own Tattoo - LeBron has “Hold My Own” tattooed under his Beast tattoo.
Meaning - Unknown.
Prince James Tattoo - LeBron has a picture of his son, Bronny, as an infant tattooed on the inside of his left forearm.
Meaning - The tattoo honors his son, Bronny, on Bronny's first birthday.
L And J Tattoos - LeBron has “L” tattooed on his left tricep and “J” on his right tricep.
Meaning - The “L” and “J” are LeBron's initials.
KJ1 Tattoo - LeBron has KJ1 tattooed on his right hand.
Meaning - KJ1 stands for King James 1.
Bryce Maximus Tattoo - LeBron has “Bryce Maximus” tattooed on his right forearm.
Meaning - This tattoo is the name of LeBron's second son, Bryce Maximus.
Stars Tattoo - LeBron added stars around his Beast tattoo.
Meaning - Unknown.
Family Tattoo - LeBron has “Family” written on the right side of his abdomen.
Meaning - LeBron tattooed “Family” to honor his family.
Loyalty Tattoo - LeBron tattooed “Loyalty” on the left side of his abdomen.
Meaning - Unknown.
Akron Tattoo - LeBron tattooed “Akron” on his right shoulder.
Meaning - Akron is LeBron's hometown.
Est 1984 Tattoo - LeBron inked “Est 1984” on his left shoulder.
Meaning - Est 1984 represents the year LeBron was born.
Flames Tattoo - LeBron tattooed flames on his right forearm.
Meaning - Unknown.
Lion Tattoo - LeBron has a huge Lion tattoo with wings on his chest.
Meaning - The Lion is from Saint Mark's Gospel.
History Tattoo - LeBron inked “History” on his left calf.
Meaning - LeBron added, “History” to match “Witness” tattooed on his right calf.
Birds Tattoo - LeBron has two flying birds tattooed on the inside of his right bicep.
Meaning - Unknown.
Tribute To Kobe Bryant Tattoo - LeBron inked a Black Mamba snake with a rose and the numbers “8” and "24," with the words “Mamba 4 Life” tattooed on his left thigh.
Meaning - This tattoo honors the late Kobe Bryant, who tragically passed away in January 2020 from a helicopter crash.
B.B.Z. Tattoo - LeBron tattooed “B.B.Z.” on his right hand.
Meaning - “B.B.Z.” is the initials of LeBron's three kids (Bronny, Bryce, Zhuri).
Zhuri Tattoo - LeBron tattooed a picture of his daughter on his back under the “C” in “Chosen 1.”
Meaning - The tattoo is an infant photo of his daughter, Zhuri.
LeBron James has many tattoos with many meanings, as you can see. Most of his tattoos have to do with his family, which comes as no surprise, as LeBron is a huge family man.
Also, LeBron has some ink to honor his hometown. Throughout his career, no matter how big LeBron has gotten, he always stays humble and remembers where he came from.
You'll often see LeBron use the hashtag #thekidfromakron on his social media accounts. This shows the love he has for his hometown.
Then he has the tattoo all Lakers fans and NBA fans love, which is his tattoo to honor Kobe Bryant. LeBron and Kobe became friendly through their time in the NBA, and LeBron, joining the team where Kobe played his entire career, brought them closer together.
Kobe's untimely death was tragic beyond belief, and it touched us all deeply. It touched LeBron, and it's nice to see him honor another legend of the game of basketball.
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