Jayson Tatum has faced a lot of trolling for copying the celebrations and styles of hoop legends from yesteryears. At the same time, no one can deny the emotions that the Celt carries through his tattoos. He has an inspiring story behind every single piece of artwork, especially the one dedicated to Kobe. Tatum didn’t get his first tattoo until 2017. But since then, he has been careful with what he inks on his body. Every tattoo is personal. However, German soccer Ismail Jakobs has copied the iconic upper-back NBA artwork of JT!

We’re talking about the famous ‘God’s Will’ tattoo engraved over Tatum’s upper back. In between two big words across his back, the superstar inked the image of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The artist behind this stunning piece of work was Steve Wiebe. Apart from Jayson Tatum, he has worked his magic with other NBA stars like Damian Lillard, DeMar DeRozan, Kyle Kuzma, and many more.

Wiebe seems to be someone who takes his work seriously, as the recent act by Ismail Jakobs didn’t sit well with him. From the looks of it, the soccer star copied the entire ‘God’s Will’ tattoo along with the holy symbol with close to no difference. Reacting to it, Wiebe shared an Instagram post that pointed out ‘the duplication’ on his stories and wrote, “Bar for bar is crazy,” with a frustrating palm-on-the-face emoji. There isn’t any clarity on what further actions Wiebe would take, but it’s clear that he is upset.

Notably, there isn’t any word from the AS Monaco player yet, who is currently in the middle of transfer rumors, linking him with a move to Galatasaray. On the other hand, Steve Wiebe has definitely made a fortune in the industry. The success even fetched him collaborations with the iconic Air Jordan sneakers!

However, coming back to Tatum’s passion, his love for god was instilled within him by his mum and grandmother from an early age. The Gold medallist has the words “In Jesus Name I Pray” in his Instagram bio and also inked on his wrist. Speaking of which, let’s dive deeper into his craze and fanboying over Kobe Bryant, on and off the court.

Jayson Tatum and the emotional back history behind each tattoo

Steve Wiebe and Jayson Tatum take every inch of the ink seriously, and it definitely has an emotional value behind it. The artwork on the upper back depicts JT’s trust, love, and belief in god. Similarly, he has tattoos for the game he loves the most, his son Deuce, and of course, his favorite player, Kobe Bryant. On his left leg, JT tattooed Mamba’s jersey #24 with a special snake pattern, signifying the Black Mamba nickname. Speaking of the tattoo, Tatum said, “I love tattoos and it’s a way to like express yourself.”

“Whatever story you trying to tell, somebody as important and influential to me as anybody, rest in peace, Kobe. I always knew after what happened that I would eventually get one, I just wanted to take some time. So I got 24 in a Black Mamba with the scales detailed going down the inside of my left knee,” Jayson explained.

Tatum has spoken about his love and admiration for the LA Lakers legend many times over the past. And, he can’t find a better and bigger way to pay tribute to the legend other than engraving his jersey no. on his body.

What do you think?

Before leaving, do watch the Dual Threat Show hosted by BG12 where Bulldogs’ Asia Avinger details her experience with Kobe Bryant, her WNBA ROTY picks, and more in the video below.