Ex-Atlanta Hawks superstar Josh Smith says covering his body in ink was not cheap -- admitting this week that it all cost him around $65,000 ... and maybe even more than that.
The former NBA player was chatting about his tattoos with Inked NBA when he made the stunning revelation ... explaining he "probably spent that much for real."
Smith says the tattoos were that expensive -- though he did add that he was including airfare and other fees for his artists that were associated with getting the ink.