Lonnie Walker Tattoo: Meaning And Design – How Many Tattoo Does He Have
Lonnie Walker is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Lonnie Walker IV plays as a small forward for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association. Besides his gameplay, the player is getting wide attention for his tattoos.
There he shares the stage with some of the greats of the game, such as LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
The American professional was named Mr. Pennsylvania Basketball in high school and earned McDonald’s All-American honors. He played basketball for the Miami Hurricanes during his college years.
He was picked 18th overall in the first round of the 2018 NBA Draft by the San Antonio Spurs after getting named to the all-freshman team in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
In the NBA, Walker represented the San Antonio Spurs until 2022 and signed with the Los Angeles Lakers on July 6, 2022. He managed to start in 32 games for the Lakers.
Recently, in May 2023, Lonnie Walker made the headlines as he became the first Laker to score 15+ points off the bench in the 4th of a playoff game since Kobe Bryant.
Lonnie Walker Tattoos: Meaning And Design
Tattoos are popular among athletes across multiple sports. They carry different meanings and are of special significance to the players.
Be it a means of expressing themselves or commemorating important events and achievements, each one tells a story.
Lonnie Walker also has some of the artistic forms showcased in his body. In fact, his entire right hand is covered in tattoos.
Even though it is hard to distinguish each and every tattoo in his hand, some are explicitly portrayed. They highlight themselves to the eyes that lay upon them.
IV Tattoo
The “IV” tattoo is the one that sticks out the most on his right arm. He got the tattoo on October 15 from San Antonio tattoo artist Richard DC before the 2017-18 season.
We can simply get the meaning behind the tattoo as his name itself includes IV succeeding his father, Lonnie Walker III.
Buddha Tattoo
The Spurs rookie at the time visited artist Richard DC for the second time and got a “Buddha” tattoo on his lower right leg in September 2019. Both the player and the artist confirmed that this is the start of a larger piece of art.
The Light of Asia, Buddha, is the symbol of peace, love, and enlightenment. Walker himself goes by the name Buddha and the tattoo symbolizes the Buddhist teaching of love and devotion.
Other Tattoos
In July 2020, the San Antonio player again came into the limelight for his fresh new ink as Walker shared a video of himself getting prepped for a new tattoo.
Even though he did not reveal the design of the tattoo, the artist could be seen working on his shoulder area in the video. We can assume that it was one of the pieces that extend from his arms.
His right-hand tricep showcases a familiar tattoo, “Skywalker,” where a person is visible climbing a stairway to heaven. It was also a nickname given to the Lakers’ shooting guard.
Netizens argue that the nickname, Skywalker, plays off his real name because it references his athletic ability. Skywalker is also a timeless pop culture reference, given the globally recognized Star Wars franchise.
Lonnie Walker Foundation
Coming from a poor neighborhood in Reading, the NBA player puts a lot of effort into giving back to the community he grew up in.
He established the Lonnie Walker IV Foundation based in his hometown of Reading. The foundation strives to positively impact individuals and families by investing time and financial resources in communities.
Walker donates both time and money through the foundation. He tries to show the youth of struggling communities that ‘never giving up can lead you to live your dreams.’
The donations are used in charitable initiatives like free basketball camps, thanksgiving turkey giveaways, and scholarship funds.