The late Kobe Bryant said friends hang sometimes, banners hang forever. Indeed, championships are eternal.
But you know what else lasts forever? Tattoos. Permanent ink. Dennis Schröder should know. Schröder has several tattoos, including one that says inshallah, which — as he said — means “hopefully” in Arabic.
Despite what was a less-than-ideal finish during his first time playing for the Lakers, Schröder re-signed with the organization once more this offseason. Hopefully, this time it goes better than it did last time.
The new chapter also begins with a new tattoo of the Lakers logo. The Lakers tweeted a photo of the ink after he made his practice debut with the team.
Reppin' the Purple & Gold pic.twitter.com/pkl5ryZAna
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) October 10, 2022
After ending his last tenure with Los Angeles on a sour note, Schröder seems to have a positive mindset about his new contract (via ESPN):
“The whole situation with the Lakers, that was a little weird,” he said. “That’s the reason why I said, ‘I’ll even play for free here,’ just to make it right, just to put everybody in the right direction.”
After playing well for Germany during EuroBasket, Schröder appears enthusiastic about a restart with the franchise.
Some fans, however, have noticed one small problem. Back in May, after Schröder was already traded from Boston to Houston, the guard posted a photo on Instagram of another tattoo he had.
This tattoo is of Lucky, who is the mascot for the Celtics. That means, yes, Schröder will have both a Lakers logo and a Celtics logo when he suits up for the Purple and Gold.
Dennis Schroder about to play with the Lakers with this tattoo on him? 💀 pic.twitter.com/GX7sxXM0Tu
— NBA Memes (@NBAMemes) September 16, 2022
Given the rivalry between the two teams, that is obviously a bit unusual. Although some diehard fans may get up in arms about this, I’ll be the first one to say it: This is totally okay!
The guard has earned more than $20 million in combined income from these two teams. He has put in hours upon hours of hard work with players on both rosters. These teams mean something different to him than they do to people who have never played for the teams. It’s his body. Who cares what harmless ink he puts on it?
For what it is worth: Schröder also has the number 17 on a basketball tattooed on his arm. 17 is a number that holds great significance for Schröder. Axel, his father, died in 2009. It was his favorite number, per Der Spiegel.
Schröder has worn 17 while playing for the Hawks and Thunder. He wore the number during his previous tenure with the Lakers, too, but had to change it (to 71) when he signed with the Celtics. But he changed it back when he was traded to the Rockets and will wear it again for the Lakers next season.
No. 17, however, is also a number that holds great significance for the Lakers.
The organization currently has 17 championships, which is tied with (of all teams) the Celtics for the most in league history. If they are somehow able to win another championship next season, they would pass Boston for the most in the NBA.
