Lorenzo Mata Tattoo

“This is a praying hands and a cross and it says, ‘Only God Can Judge Me’ and it has my mom’s name in the middle. And this one’s an Aztec warrior with some pyramids that actually got added to it. It kind of represents me.

A lot of people talk smack about me and judge me and they don’t even know me. It’s my mom – she’s always been there for me and is still there for me. The cross and the praying hands – just praying for everything that she’s always done because of hard times and everything. ... I got (the tattoo) for my mom. She would always pray for me. I do it all for her.

I’m Mexican and the Aztec warrior – I’m like a warrior on the court and I do whatever it takes to win. ... Aztec warriors, they did everything for their people and I’m doing everything for me and my people – the Mexican people – another role model for them to look up to.

I got this one (of the hands and cross) last summer. And (the Aztec warrior tattoo) I got last summer and I just added the pyramids two weeks ago.

(The warrior tattoo) took five and a half hours because of a lot of detail. Obviously it does hurt. Once you start doing it, it goes numb for awhile. I’m just on my Sidekick the whole time trying to keep my mind off it.

The first (tattoo), my mom was kind of mad but then she was like, ‘Whatever.’ Then she kind of liked it. Then the (warrior tattoo), and it was two weeks, and my mom didn’t know I had it. After that I was like, ‘Might as well just show it to her,’ so I showed it to her. She was mad, obviously. I can’t take them off.

When I got (the first) one, coach Howland, he sounded surprised I got a tattoo. But then he was like, ‘Oh, it’s for your mom.’ Then I got this one and he was like, ‘How many more are you going to get?’ I’m still planning on getting a couple more this summer.

I want to get my initials somewhere and I want to get my other arm. I don’t want to get anything down here (on my forearms). Not yet. Not until I make some money. So when I make some money, I’ll get some down here. Something like a half-sleeve. My mom wouldn’t really like (a full-sleeve tattoo). It kind of hurts. I almost cried when I got it.”