Zion Williamson’s off-court moves have been just as buzzworthy as his play with the New Orleans Pelicans through the 24-year-old’s career. Williamson’s star has been dimmed by various injuries across his five NBA seasons, but the former first overall pick is no stranger to headlines.
This time, he’s made waves for the unique artwork he recently tattooed on his body. The two-time All-Star unveiled a new piece on his stomach that relates to a well-known anime character: Naruto.
Fan website Narutopedia says the depiction represents a symbol used “to seal a large enemy or an evil spirit into a target, such as an object or a human’s body.” Pictures of the new piece started to surface Wednesday, and Instagram account inkbynova was the first to show off the design on social media. It appears that the tattoo artist has inked Williamson before – as early as 2023. The artist appears to be based in Louisiana.
Williamson spoke about his fondness for anime with GQ in 2022, estimating that 80% of players are in the league are interested in anime. He even went to a ComicCon panel dedicated to Naruto that same year. In a way, he told the magazine at the time, the fictional character reminds Williamson of his own career trajectory: ““For a while nobody took Naruto seriously,” he said. “And then he went and trained with [master shinobi] Jiraiya for three years, right? And he came back at 16 years old, goated.” In his case, Jiraiya is his stepfather, Lee Anderson, who turned him into the dominant player he is today, beginning when Williamson was 16.
Williamson is averaging 24.2 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 4.7 assists so far this season, though he’s only appeared in 21 of the New Orleans Pelicans’ 58 games this season.