NBA requires LaMelo Ball to cover up tattoo on neck during games

Sparking a contentious debate, LaMelo Ball has the initials “LF” tattooed on his neck, representing his middle name LaFrance. Intriguingly, this happens to be the name of his clothing brand, which has resulted in the NBA mandating Ball to cover up the tattoo during games in compliance with its rule barring the promotion of commercial brands through tattoos, according to a revelatory report by Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Engaging in ongoing talks regarding the contentious tattoo, the NBA and Ball initiated discussions weeks ago, leading to Ball proactively covering it up before recent games to avoid potential league fines, sources revealed to ESPN. The league has taken the stance that Ball’s neck tattoo blatantly infringes upon the rule, while Ball and his representatives argue that the rule is selectively enforced, pointing out that he also sports an LF tattoo on his hand, albeit less prominently visible during games.

Disputing the league’s stance, Ball and his representatives contend that other players possess corporate logo tattoos without endorsement contracts, thus benefiting from the sale of his own brand’s merchandise as opposed to directly endorsing another company.

Demonstrably, this discussion is far from concluded and will likely receive input from Andre Iguodala and the players’ union in the near future. For now, Ball complies with the league’s directive to cover his controversial tattoo during games.