Tattoos are more than just ink under your skin. They are an expression of your inner self. And your body is the canvas. And over the years, there’s been no dearth of iconic tattoos in the NBA after Allen Iverson changed the culture. From AI’s own famed ink to LeBron’s tattoos that tell a story—  these legends are why tattoos are also called body art. But recently, as the NBA Finals have begun, fans have started getting curious about another player’s tattoos — Chet Holmgren.

So, today, let’s explore if the Oklahoma City Thunder star has any tattoos. And we’ll also debunk a viral image of him that’s doing the rounds online.

How many tattoos does Chet Holmgren have?

Getting a tattoo is a huge decision for anyone. Once you have a tattoo, it’s pretty much permanent. Unless you want to pay exorbitant prices for laser removal, and even then, you might end up with an ugly scar. And perhaps these factors have influenced Chet Holmgren’s decision not to get a tattoo.

So far, all signs seem to point to Chet Holmgren having no tattoos. He has never shown off any in his Instagram posts, nor have fans noticed any ink while he’s playing for the Oklahoma City Thunder.

So, Chet’s body art, or lack thereof, is a far cry from the mural that LeBron James has turned his body into. But different players, different strokes, it seems. However, you may be wondering – what about that “THUG LIFE” tattoo Chet had? Well, it’s about time we got to that.

A little over a year ago, during Chet Holmgren’s rookie season, an image of him had NBA fans shaken. It showed the OKC forward mid-air shooting a jumper with his shirt off. Questionable attire aside, it’s pretty normal, right? Wrong! The bit that made the picture go viral was Chet seemingly having the words “THUG LIFE” and a gun tattooed on his belly.

Fans couldn’t believe that this was the same tall, lanky forward that Oklahoma drafted as the 2nd pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. Soon, they learned that their disbelief was right! As it turned out, this post was made by the notorious NBA parody page, NBA Centel. Meaning, this photo of Chet Holmgren was FAKE!

This isn’t the first time NBA fans have made assumptions based on appearances. For years, Kevin Durant was thought to be tattoo-free — until shirtless photos in 2011 revealed he’d quietly collected a number of meaningful tattoos across his chest and back. It was a reminder that sometimes, the ink is there — just hidden from view.

That said, for years now, a lot of fans, players, their families, and really anyone associated with the NBA have fallen for NBA Centel’s trolls. And in 2024, Centel managed to successfully hoodwink a lot of NBA fans with this post. But the reality is, Chet Holmgren has no tattoos.

But who knows? As he plays and possibly wins the NBA with OKC, he may want to commemorate the biggest moment of his career. And like many athletes before him, a tattoo may be the way he goes!