Earl Joseph “J. R.” Smith III is an American professional basketball player who is known to have last played for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is well known for his magnificent body which is covered in multiple body inks.
Smith says:
“People always say tattoos tell a story,” So, I mean, I think I got a hell of a story going on.”
“My tattoos are really pretty much off the fly,I mean, whenever I want to get something, I never really know what I’m gonna get until I get to the tattoo shop. So, when I get there, I just start picking stuff and then just get it.”
JR Smith is filled to the brim as far as tattoos go, with some even now onto his ears and close to his face. Smith actually committed that when he was younger he used to hate tattoos and never wanted to have them, but surprisingly now he is so much covered in inks that there is hardly any room for more tattoos.
Neck Tattoos
1. Logos Behind His Ears
Tattoo: J.R. Smith is tattooed with various designs of transformers and logos inked behind his left and right ear. On the backside of his left ear, there is also a dollar symbol tattooed.
2. Star Tattoos
Tattoo: The left and right side of J.R. Smith’s neckline is covered in four five-pointed stars of red colors on each side.
Meaning: Stars are considered to be the symbol of guidance in the difficulties of life just like they are the source of guidance in the dark night. They also represent the divine relationship with God and are the embodiment of truth.
3. Design Behind his Right Ear
Tattoo: The right side of J.R. Smith’s ear has a tattoo of a logo of an alphabet ‘B’ inked on it.
4. Cross Tattoo
Tattoo: The right side of J.R. Smith’s face has a tattoo of a cross inked on it. Cross represents his religious views (Christianity).
5. ‘SWISH’ Tattoo
Tattoo: There is a tattoo of word SWISH inked on the lower side of his chin in blue and yellow color.
Meaning: In terms of basketball, swish is the shot that goes through the basket without touching the backboard or rim.
6. ‘YN’ Tattoo
Tattoo: The front side of Smith’s neck contains a tattoo of the letters, ‘YM’ inked in red color. Over this is another ink which includes the words, ‘young money‘ with numerous red-colored stars surrounding it.
Meaning: Lil Wayne is the real founder of phrase Young Money YM. This ink is taken from the ‘YMCMB‘, an acronym that stands for Young Money Cash Money Billionaires. The symbol is used to refer to those artists who are part of Young Money Entertainment and Cash Money Records.
7. ‘My time to shine’ Tattoo
Tattoo: The phrase, ‘My time to Shine’ is tattooed on J.R. Smith’s front side of his neck.
Meaning: Smith explains:
“‘My Time To Shine’ is just expressing myself because I feel as though I’ve waited long enough to express the way I feel on the basketball court. So I just felt as though it’s my time.”
8. ‘Die San’ On His Neck
Tattoo: The left side of J.R. Smith’s neck contains the wording of ‘Die SAN‘ inked below the logo of the transformers tattoo.
9. ‘Stars’ Tattoo
Tattoo: On the left and right side of J.R. Smith’s collarbone there lies the tattoos of three stars inked on each side. Stars symbolize the close relationship with God.
10. ‘Diamond’ Tattoo
Tattoo: Just below the stars inked on Smith’s right collar bone there lies a small diamond tattoo. Diamond symbolizes wealth and power.
11. Design on the back of Neck
Tattoo: The back of J.R. Smith’s neck is covered in some unknown design.
Chest Tattoos
12. ‘Mama’s Boy’ Tattoo
Tattoo: The right side of J.R. Smith’s chest has a portrait of his mother with wording Mama’s Boy and birds in flight inked.
Meaning: Smith says,
“The mother piece was the most important, because I’m definitely a mama’s boy and I’m not afraid to let everybody know that.”
13. Portrait of Jesus
Tattoo: The left side of J.R. Smith’s chest has a tattoo of Jesus Christ. There are two words, ‘Black‘ inked over and ‘Jesus‘ below Jesus’s portrait followed by some dove birds inked towards the left side of his left pec.
Meaning: Smith told that:
“The Jesus one was because without him I wouldn’t be here, and God is just a very significant part of my life.”
14. ‘BLESSED’ Tattoo
Tattoo: The center of J.R. Smith’s chest contains the word ‘BLESSED’ in bold capital letters inked vertically on it. The tattoo is the tribute to the blessings he has achieved and the success he has attained in his life till now.
15. ‘Michael Jordan’ Tattoo
Tattoo: The center of J.R. Smith’s chest has a tattoo of a pair of shoes and a figure representing Michele Jordan holding a basketball and a red-colored jersey with no 23 inked beneath it.
16. Portraits On His Stomach
Tattoo: The right side of J.R. Smith’s stomach has portraits of two kids inked. The two portraits represent the childhood faces of his brothers Chris Smith and Dimitrius Smith inked.
17. ‘Skull’ Tattoo
Tattoo: J.R. Smith has a tattoo of a skull-topped with a dragon tail on his head inked on the right side of his stomach.
18. ‘Blood Brothas’ Tattoo
Tattoo: J.R. Smith is tattooed with Blood Brothas on the lower side of his abdomen. The tattoo is the tribute to his relationship with his brothers.
19. Cross Tattoo
Tattoo: J.R. Smith has a tattoo of a Celtic Cross which seems to be the crucifixion board of Jesus Christ along with the text of Smith Family inked on the right side of his chest.
20. ‘Window Man’ Tattoo
Tattoo: The left side of J.R. Smith has a tattoo of a man wearing a cap standing in a half-opened gate.
21. ‘Money Joker’ Tattoo
Tattoo: The lower left side abdomen of J.R. Smith contains a tattoo of a joker holding dollar bills along with words “In Love WITH MY MONEY” inked on it.
Meaning: J.R. Smith explained:
“I’ve been in a lot of situations where some people feel as though love is more important. I think relationships are great, but unfortunately for me, it hasn’t really worked out yet. So I just put ‘In Love With My Money’ because that’s what keeps me pushing. That’s what keeps my family stable. I mean, I didn’t go to college because of the money, so I had to put it on there.”
22. ‘Man With Basketball’ Tattoo
Tattoo: The left side of J.R. Smith’s stomach has a tattoo of a man holding a basketball standing in a court inked on it. This ink relates to his Basketball career.
Back Tattoos
23. ‘Angel Wings’ Tattoo
Tattoo: The back of J.R. Smith has a tattoo which includes the names “BETTY” and “LARL” wrapped up in wings and angel rings on top of them.
Meaning: J.R. Smith says:
“I actually got the angel wings when I was like 19; it was my grandparent’s names. So I got it on my back since they’re my guardian angels.”
24. ‘Always Loyal People’ Tattoo
Tattoo: The back of J.R. Smith’s back has tattoo that reads, “Always Loyal People” inked on it.
25. ‘JuST KLOWIN’ Tattoo
Tattoo: The Back of J.R. Smith is covered with various characters in remembrance of his childhood which include a girl with a cross on her shoulder with long curly hair , the killer clown from horror movie IT, an old bearded man wearing jersey no 1 dribbling basketball , a boy wearing cap, a blonde girl with her eyes close, a boy wearing cap and glove in his hand, a boy holding a gun wearing a cap with banner REDZ ,and a clown holding a grenade topped with the caption ‘JUST KLOWIN’ inked on his back.
Meaning: J.R. Smith says:
“‘Just Klownin’ is just me being me. Got the football guy up there, from football to basketball, to my brothers and sisters, to my friends watching my back, it just plays a significant part of my life because all of the people that I have surrounded by me.”
“The ‘JUST KLOWIN’ represents what my grandmother told me when i was younger, she always told me , embrace what you are most afraid of and don’t run from it. When i was younger , i had this terrible experience with watching “it” the killer clown whenever i seen a drain or whenever it rained or something like that i used to run home or something and when my grandmother to me to “Embrace your fear,” it’s just like, you know what ? she is right i am going to get over it . Everything i am is because of her.”
Left arm Tattoos:
26. Quote On His Left Arm
Tattoo: The inner side of J.R. Smith’s upper left arm contains a quote that reads, ‘always remember you were born into a winning team that’s always behind you’.
27. ‘god understands’ Tattoo
Tattoo: The inner side of J.R. Smith’s left forearm has a tattoo that says ‘god understands‘.
28. ‘KING OF NEW JERSEY’ Tattoo
Tattoo: The outer side of J.R. Smith’s left arm contains a tattoo stretching from his shoulder to his bicep of a map of new jersey topped with a crown on it. It further contains the text, “KING OF NEW JERSEY” and “JR” and a basketball on it surrounded by clouds and two five-pointed stars inked on it.
Meaning: The tattoo is the representation of J.R Smith’s career and how he considers himself to be the king of the game.
29. ‘LOYALTY’ Tattoo
Tattoo: The backside of J.R. Smith’s left arm has a tattoo that reads, “LOYALTY”.
30. ‘Loving Memory Of Betty Smith’ Tattoo
Tattoo: The inner side of J.R. Smith’s left arm has a tattoo in tribute to his grandmother.
Meaning: The tattoo reads as, “In Loving Memory Of Betty Smith” (Sunrise) February 7, 1982 (Sunset) September 11, 1994 with two praying hands holding bead heads in between them.
31. ‘YOUNG’ Tattoo
Tattoo: The outer side of J.R. Smith’s left arm has a tattoo that reads, ‘YOUNG‘.
32. ‘One For My Family’ Tattoo
Tattoo: Across the knuckles of J.R. Smith’s left hand contains various symbols as two Egyptian monuments, a logo of National Basketball Association, and a logo of a cat.
Meaning: The various symbols inked on his fingers have different meanings to him. The tattoo also contains a quote on his knuckles which read as, ‘One For My Family‘.
33. ‘Auhh!’ Tattoo
Tattoo: The back of J.R. Smith’s left thumb contains a tattoo that reads, ‘AUHH!‘ inked on it.
34. ‘ALP’ Tattoo
Tattoo: The back of J.R. Smith’s left hand has a tattoo that reads as, “Pom Stephanie” followed by alphabets ALP surrounded by colorful background with three five-pointed stars inked on it
Meaning: The tattoo of Pom Stephanie on his wrist is the love shown by him for his troublesome sister.
35. ‘Star’ Tattoo
Tattoo: Smith has another tattoo of a red-colored star inked on his back of his left hand with the wording, ‘LOOK LIKE‘ inked on it.
36. ‘Gun’ Tattoo
Tattoo: The elbow of J.R. Smith’s left arm is inked with the tattoo of a gun.
Right Arm Tattoos
37. Quote on the inner side of the right bicep
Tattoo: The inner side of J.R. Smith’s right arm has a quote inked on it which reads as, ‘No matter how right your wrong is the morals and values you hold, thoughts that keeps you grounded.‘
38. ‘DEMI’ Tattoo
Tattoo: Across the knuckles of J.R. Smith’s right hand exists the tattoo that reads, ‘D E M I‘ inked on it.
Meaning: J.R. Smith says; “Demi, that’s my daughter.”
39. ‘Blood Blood Out’ Tattoo
Tattoo: The inner side of J.R.Smith’s right forearm has a tattoo that reads, ‘Blood Blood Out‘ inked on it
Meaning: The phrase reflects the ritual of killing someone to enter a gang or otherwise becoming the part of a gang.
40. ‘Through the Fire’ Tattoo
Tattoo: The upper side of J.R. Smith’s right arm has a tattoo stretching from his shoulder to his bicep that reads ,’THROUGH THE FIRE‘ with designs of flames and tiny stars inked on it.
Meaning: When asked What does the “Through the Fire” tattoo mean?
J.R. Smith says:
“I was 15 with my first tattoo; it was a picture of me dunking it says I’ve been through hell.
41. ‘Loving Memory of EARL’ Tattoo
Tattoo: On Smith’s right arm there is a tattoo of two praying hands holding the bead heads with a banner that reads ‘Earl Smith‘ Sic (Sunrise) July 22, 1928 (Sunset) November 24, 2004, with alphabets E A R L 40 inked on it.
Meaning: The whole ink is in tribute to his loving grandfather, Earl Smith.
42. Stars on His Knuckles
Tattoo: The knuckles of J.R. Smith’s right hand contains three stars inked on it.
43. ‘609’ Tattoo
Tattoo: The back of the J.R. Smith’s right hand has the numeral 609 inked on it.
Meaning: The no ‘609’ on the back of J.R. Smith’s hand represents the no. of Squadron of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force, which was originally formed as a bomber squadron and presently is focused on providing the support to the operations of the Royal Air Force.
44. Symbol
Tattoo: The back of J.R. Smith’s right hand has a tattoo of a symbol along with the word “Hand” inked towards its lower side. There also exists the name ‘Slit Earl’ with name Kenny Chris on his wrist.
45. Dices Tattoo
Tattoo: The inner side of J.R.’s right forearm contains two 3D cubes with numeral 6 shown on it .
46. ‘HIGH’ Tattoo
Tattoo: The outer side of J.R. Smith’s right arm has a vertical inked tattoo that reads as “HIGH” inked on it
Right Leg Tattoos
47. ‘Supreme’ Tattoo
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Tattoo: The back of J.R. Smith’s right leg has a tattoo that reads ‘Supreme’ inked in blue color.
Meaning: J.R. has a partnership with the Supreme brand, notably wearing a supreme sleeve in his games. Smith discussed and explain why he got the tattoo done.
“It’s harder to strike a deal when someone is already advertising Supreme for free. Smith told Complex that he got the tattoo because of a kinship he felt with Supreme. “[Supreme] represents the streets,” he said. “It represents that gritty, weird… personality. And that’s what I represent as a person.”
48. Wife’s Portrait On His Thigh
Tattoo: On his right thigh, J.R Smith has got his wife’s (Jewel Harris) portrait inked on it
49. Floral Design Tattoo
Tattoo: The outer side of J.R. Smith’s right leg is fully covered with interlinear floral personalized designs inked on it.
50. ‘Tigg Polo’ Tattoo
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Tattoo: The backside of J.R. Smith’s upper part of right leg contains the tattoo that reads, “TIGG YELLOW BDINK”
Meaning: This ink is somewhat dedicated to his fellow boys and players.
51. Portrait Of Nipsey Hussle
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Tattoo: J.R. Smith has a tattoo of a portrait of American rapper Ermias Joseph Asghedom known professionally as Nipsey Hussle inked on his right leg.
Left Leg Tattoos
52. ‘Cartoon Characters’ Tattoo
Tattoo: J.R. Smith has got his outer side of the left leg covered up with various tiny cartoon characters.
53. ‘Teddy bear Logo’ Tattoo
Tattoo: The upper part of J.R. Smith’s left leg has a tattoo of a round batch in which there exists a teddy bear inside it.
54. Portrait of His Premature Daughter
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Tattoo: The upper part of J.R. Smith’s left leg features the tattoo of a portrait of the face of her younger daughter inked. The tattoo was done by the tattoo artist King Rico on August 17, 2017. Smith got it when his daughter was two years old. His daughter was born as a premature child almost five months prior to his wife’s estimated delivery date.
55. Portrait of Daughter
Tattoo: The back of J.R. Smith’s upper left thigh contains the tattoo of a portrait of his third daughter’s Peyton Smith’s face inked on it.
55. ‘Disney Land Theme’ Tattoo
Tattoo: The back of Smith’s left leg displays the Disney theme tattoo which includes, Scooby-the dog, Mickey Mouse, and various other tiny cartoons from multiple series.
56. Portrait of Grandmother
Tattoo: The upper part of J.R. Smith’s left leg has a tattoo of a portrait of his grandmother, Betty smith inked.
