DeMar DeRozan is honoring Malcolm X with some brand new ink ... tattooing an iconic image of his hero on his left bicep.
We're told the San Antonio Spurs star wanted the piece done before the NBA season kicked off ... so he hit up Canadian artist Steve Wiebe -- who has worked with a ton of NBA stars like Kevin Durant and John Wall.
Wiebe was in L.A. tattooing some other hoopers ... so he linked up with DeRozan at his house.