In the past 10 weeks, Kevin Durant’s two new tattoos surfaced online: a portrait of rapper Tupac Shakur spanning his left calf, and a portrait of funk singer Rick James covering the former NBA MVP’s left thigh.
“They’re people who inspired me,” Durant said Monday afternoon at the Warriors’ Media Day.
Getting tattoos in such visible places was a break from strategy for Golden State’s new starting small forward, who previously only had ink on areas a basketball uniform hides (mostly his chest and stomach). Multiple outlets have suggested that the change signals Durant’s embrace of his new “villain” role.