120 Basketball Tattoo Ideas to Ball Out To

From simple basketballs to team logos, there are so many basketball tattoos for you to choose from.

I grew up in a sports-oriented family and this meant that March Madness and the NBA finals were practically national holidays in my household. So, I have a special place in my heart for basketball tattoos. I love talking to clients about their favorite teams and the meaning behind their chosen basketball tattoo designs.

In this post, I'm going to share the top basketball tattoo ideas with you and give you some tips for creating your own custom basketball tattoo!

The Best Basketball Tattoo Designs

Here are the top basketball tattoo ideas to check out:

Basketball Tattoos

If you are looking to keep it simple with your basketball tattoo, there is no better way to do this than with just getting a basketball inked on your body!

As far as sports tattoo designs go, it is pretty straightforward and gets straight to the point too. This kind of basketball tattoo is great if you want to keep your basketball tattoo design as small as possible too.

Now, you may think that just getting a basketball as a basketball tattoo is pretty boring. However, this isn't the case at all. In reality, there are plenty of options available to you.

If you are looking for simple tattoo designs, then you can stick to a black ink ball outline with your basketball tattoo - this is as minimalistic as you can get. The curved lines on the ball will identify it as a basketball.

If this basketball tattoo idea feels a little boring, you can consider a basketball tattoo with a bit more detail. Here, you will add a few more defining features to the ball in your basketball tattoo and maybe some color as well.

Or, you can go in a completely different direction with your basketball tattoo and get the most realistic basketball tattoo possible. Not only does this involve a detailed design for your basketball tattoo, including the bumps and depressions of the ball, but you will also need to get the color just right.

You can also opt for a really creative basketball tattoo design. You can draw the basketball in a different fashion, use unique colors, or add some unique elements into the mix.

Heart of Basketball Tattoos

For a lot of people, basketball is more than just a game. It holds an important place in your heart. Basketball has the ability to create and instill powerful emotions in you.

Not only do you cherish this game but you are likely to pass down this love and passion to future generations as well.

Due to this, it only makes sense to get a basketball tattoo design related to the concept of your heart. There are a few different ideas that you can work with for such basketball tattoo designs.

I found this basketball tattoo design to be really cool - the basketball and the human heart are merged into one basketball tattoo - completely mind-blowing.

If you aren't looking for such an extreme basketball tattoo design, there are other ideas you can borrow from.

You can get a basketball tattoo that has a basketball in line with heartbeats. This is beautiful concept - just take a look at these basketball tattoos to figure out you can design your basketball tattoo.

Basketball is King Tattoos

Do you feel that basketball is superior to all other sports? You are not the only one - basketball is a global phenomenon that is only getting more and more popular with time.

If basketball really is the only game for you, you should get a basketball tattoo that showcases this - a basketball with a crown.

Despite the simplicity, I love basketball tattoo designs like these. They are so stylish and elegant. If you are looking for a cool quotient basketball tattoo, then these are definitely the best basketball tattoo designs to consider.

For these kinds of basketball tattoo designs, you can opt for a minimalistic design or go all out. If you decide to take things to the next level, make sure you add as much detail to the crown in your basketball tattoo as possible.

Basketball on Fire Tattoos

It doesn't matter if you play this team sport or if you are simply bystander, there is nothing more satisfying or heart-racing than watching the ball fly through the air.

For those moments that the basketball is up in the air, anything can happen. The right teammate can grab it, it can be picked off by the opposing team, or it can be a total air ball.

Well, the good news is that you can capture the speed and excitement of these moments in your basketball tattoo design. Get a basketball tattoo with fire all around it or blazing a path as the ball is thrown.

These basketball tattoos are simple but still pretty cool. They can also make for some colorful basketball tattoo designs.

Here are the best basketball tattoos for this concept:

Basketball Net Tattoos

You may love basketball tattoos but could also be looking for something a little different. In this case, you may want to consider getting a basketball tattoo of a basketball net. After all, when you think about it, the net is a pretty important part of the game too!

There are different options to make this kind of basketball tattoo work. You can just get the net or the pole as well as the net.

If you would like a more animated basketball tattoo, you could make the net look like it's swishing in your basketball tattoo design.

Want to add even more elements to your basketball tattoo? Then have the ball near the net or actually going into the net. Now, this is more of an intricate design but definitely worth the effort!

Basketball Court Tattoos

As far as basketball tattoos go, this is a pretty unusual idea. However, I think it's one of the best basketball tattoo designs you can get.

This involves getting the whole basketball court inked on your body. You may be hesitant about these kinds of basketball tattoo designs. After all, how big is your basketball tattoo supposed to be?

Well, there is no need to worry because this kind of basketball tattoo design doesn't have to be large or intricate. In fact, it can be pretty small if you want it to be.

Also, you can get a half court design for your basketball tattoo if you like.

Check out some of these basketball tattoos to gain inspiration for your own basketball tattoo design:

Basketball Player Tattoos

Let's face it, you often love your favorite players as much as you love the game itself. This is because there are certain revolutionary players that change the way that basketball is played. As such, they go down in the history books. So, it is only natural to get a basketball tattoo of them.

I do want to mention that I'm only going to name a few top players in my list of basketball tattoos.

However, each person has their own idol or favorite player. So, you can use the basketball tattoo designs mentioned to help you lay the groundwork for your own basketball tattoo.

MICHAEL JORDAN

Even people who have no interest in basketball have heard of Michael Jordan and it is easy to see why. He is often considered the best basketball player of all time.

For one, he was a scoring machine, especially in the playoffs. He has scored double digits in every career playoff game that he has been to. In that sense, he has elevated the game for players that came after him.

Michael Jordan was more than just a talented player. It's his determination and spirit that really make him so memorable. Even when he was sick and physically drained, he still gave the team and his fans everything he had.

So, you can choose to get just his face, an entire profile tattoo, or him in motion for your basketball tattoo.

KOBE BRYANT

The number of Kobe basketball tattoos increased after his death, as so many people wanted to pay tribute to this incredible player.

Like Kobe, Jordan was an immensely talented player who completely dominated the sport. He was known for his aggressive playing and to rely on his own talent and experience when getting the ball into the net.

Once again, though, it wasn't just his playing ability that made him a fan favorite. It was his Mamba Mentality - a mindset that helped him handle all his adversity.

ALLEN IVERSON

Allen Iverson was definitely a different kind of basketball player. For one, he was a lot smaller than the average basketball player but his speed and crossover skills left the opposing team unable to stop him.

Not to mention, Iverson was also known for his controversies and rebellious behavior. Due to this, he became an icon to those who decided to do things their own way.

LEBRON JAMES

Of all the players on this list, LeBron is the only one who is still playing - and what an impact he's making! He currently holds the most playoff points in the history of the league, making him a truly next level star.

LeBron James is known for his talent, playing skill, and consistency. Although he has bounced around a few teams, he still brings it with every new jersey that he puts on.

Basketball Team Logo Tattoos

Don't have a favorite player? That's not a problem because you probably have a favorite team. This is true for basketball fans everywhere!

You can take your loyalty for your team and turn it into an awesome basketball tattoo design. This is one of the most classic sports tattoo design you can get.

There are a few different ways you can pull off these kinds of basketball tattoos. You can simply get the logo of your team if you want. Or, you can get the mascot as well.

Another option for these kinds of basketball tattoos is that you get the jersey inked on you. You can choose a particular player for your basketball tattoo or you can leave that space empty.

Check out the basketball tattoos to see what kind of basketball tattoo design you can get:

Childhood Basketball Tattoos

I have to say that this is one of my favorite basketball tattoo designs. It is meaningful and nostalgic.

After all, for many people, the love of the basketball game began on a court in their neighborhood or in their driveway. So, the love you had for the game was pure and untainted.

It can seem like just a picture but the emotions this kind of basketball tattoo design can invoke is quite powerful.

If you want to pay homage to these humble beginnings, you can get a basketball tattoo of your childhood. Now, while this is a fabulous basketball tattoo design, it can get pretty intricate.

Due to this, it is a good idea to go with a really talented tattoo artist.

Basketball Scene Tattoos

This kind of basketball tattoo design is similar to the childhood basketball tattoos but has a more grown up take on them.

With these kinds of basketball tattoo designs, you can capture the street level of the game. This could be a scene that you saw a great deal growing up - people gathering at the local courts to hash it out. Or, you could have been a part of those games yourself.

What I really love about these types of basketball tattoo ideas is that you can capture a lot of detail in a small basketball tattoo design.

With the right strokes, shading effects, and colors, you can create a spirited basketball tattoo design and take up minimal space.

Script Basketball Tattoos

Basketball can provide a lot on inspiration. In some cases, you can't capture with images. In this case, you may want to consider words basketball tattoos.

You can choose a word, phrase, or a quote for this kind of basketball tattoo design.

Creative Basketball Tattoos

Are you looking for something different with your basketball tattoo designs? In this case, you should consider the more creative basketball tattoos.

So, what do creative basketball tattoo designs look like?

Well, that's the beauty of these basketball tattoos. There is no design or script that you need to follow. With these basketball tattoo designs, you have the ability to get as creative, crazy, and as funny as you want.

For these basketball tattoos, there are no limits. You can consider basketball tattoo designs with dinosaurs, aliens, and animals playing basketball.

Or, you could choose from really abstract basketball tattoo designs. The options for these basketball tattoos are endless.

To know just what kind of basketball tattoo designs you can choose from, here are the basketball tattoos to scroll through:

Space Jam Basketball Tattoos

Let's be honest, if you had to name the best basketball movie of all time, you could get away with putting Space Jam at the top of this list. We may have watched this movie as kids but it really stuck with us. In fact, you can still consider it as one of your favorite movies.

So, if you are considering all options for basketball tattoo designs, you have to think about getting a Space Jam basketball tattoo.

These basketball tattoos are really fun and keep the spirit of the game alive.

If you're interested, here are the basketball tattoos you should look at:

So there you have it - the top basketball tattoo ideas to choose from. It doesn't matter if you want a basketball tattoo that is simple, complex, cool, or meaningful, you will find all the inspiration you need right here!