I think the funniest thing about all of the buzz surrounding Steven Adams’ new look is the fact that the one part of his look he actually had to shell out money for went almost virtually unnoticed. That has to be a bit of a kick in the pant seat.
That’s actually the reason I settled on this image for the article itself:
Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
Not only does it show the part of the look everyone is raving about, as well as the playful attitude that Adams has become known for amongst his teammates and fanbase, but it also prominently displays the one part of his look he was most likely hoping for the focus to be placed: the new ink on his right forearm.
Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case when the Oklahoma City Thunder had their annual Media Day last Monday, as talk of Adams’ newly-grown facial hair was easily the biggest takeaway from that event.
And since everyone else has had their say, I might as well give my two cents on it. Is it glorious? Of course it is. That’s why everyone is so taken aback by it. That’s why people were stunned to see him take a seat at the event. They didn’t realize it was Steven Adams. They thought it was a 7-foot Burt Reynolds coming in for an interview.
The ink, on the other hand, I thought was pretty sweet. As a guy who is at least 13% Native American, I’m pretty big on tribal designs. Although not many people are born within Oklahoma borders without at least a tiny percentage of Native American blood. I think that may honestly just be one of those facts of life that one would find very hard to fully disprove.
Not only is it a pretty sweet tribal design, but in this picture, which I can’t show here for fear of USA Today possibly initiating litigation on my main bosses (It’s happened before. USA Today is apparently pretty serious about their strategic partnerships), you can see that it contains the word “Funaki”. It’s significance? Well, it is his middle name, after all. Although, in the interest of full disclosure, it really does look like the NBA Finals logo was there initially, then modified into his middle name. Although if that’s the style he was going for, then the tattoo artist pulled it off perfectly.
Don’t worry, Mr. Steven Funaki Adams. I caught a glimpse of your new ink, and it looks like money well spent if you ask me. Tattoos are deeply personal and significant. He may regret having it put there one day, but if he likes it now, it’s his arm to do with as he pleases.
Again, if you’re asking me, I think he wears it well. But, you are free to formulate your own opinions on it. Last time I checked, Oklahoma City was deep in the heart of the United States, where we’re free to criticize as we please. And honestly, that goes for everybody in every last one of the 50 United States.