Cleveland Cavaliers shooting guard J.R. Smith isn't the only NBA player who will have to cover up some ink when they take the court in the upcoming season.
According to reports, the NBA has also contacted Los Angeles Lakers point guard Lonzo Ball regarding the Big Baller Brand tattoo below his right elbow. Similar to the Supreme tattoo on Smith's right calf, Ball's BBB ink is a violation of the league's policy that prohibits players from displaying any commercial logos or corporate insignia on their bodies or in their hair.
Ball made his preseason debut last night in the Lakers' 123-113 victory over the Golden State Warriors and he had a patch covering the BBB tat to avoid being fined by the NBA. The soon-to-be 21-year old PG finished with seven points, four rebounds, four steals and two assists in 23 minutes off the bench in his first game sharing the court with LeBron James.
J.R. Smith has also revealed he'll be wearing a sleeve on his calf during the season to cover up the Supreme logo.
"I'm not giving them money that could go to my kids,'' Smith told ESPN. "I was looking into (my rights), but the players' association just texted me, and you know what? I'm not going to put money in their pockets. Not a chance."
"It was just something that I wanted to do,'' he said. "There's a lot of other things going on in this world (the league) could be worried about besides a tattoo, but it's their league. They can do what they want."