Chicago Bulls guard Alex Caruso, who was named to NBA All-Defensive Second Team this season, commemorated NBA legend Kobe Bryant with a tattoo on his thigh featuring the iconic 2001 NBA Finals photo.
The tattoo captures Bryant sitting in the shower, holding the championship trophy, and wearing a stoic expression, symbolizing both triumph and personal struggle.
Bryant’s 2001 NBA championship win was a historic moment, but it was also tinged with emotional complexity due to his strained relationship with his parents.
Despite his monumental achievement, Bryant’s victory was shadowed by the absence of his parents, Joe “Jellybean” Bryant and Pamela Cox Bryant, at the games.
The rift between Bryant and his parents stemmed from their nonattendance at his wedding to Vanessa Laine in 2001.
Caruso’s decision to immortalize this iconic moment on his body reflects the profound impact Bryant had not only on the basketball world but also on individual players like Caruso.
UPDATE
As spotted by Lakers Daily, Caruso denied on Instagram that the pictured leg with a tattoo is him. “Thought it was dope! But that’s not my leg…” he wrote.
