Entering his second NBA season with the aggressively moving Memphis Grizzlies, Zach Edey is no stranger to making bold statements. The 7-foot-4 powerhouse, who turned heads in his rookie year with gritty rebounding and efficient scoring inside, showed up to Media Day with more than just refined footwork and added muscle. Edey also arrived with a fresh, expansive tattoo that is as much a testament to his evolution as his on-court improvements.
The Canadian big man revealed to ClutchPoints that his latest tattoo is part of an ongoing project to document his basketball journey, with each piece of ink representing the milestones and progress made along the way.
“I try to get (a tattoo) done every summer. I figured I might as well get something bigger this summer,” Edey told ClutchPoints. “It's just a little progress thing of what I've done so far, the steps, where I've been at and everything like that.”
The sophomore center's new ink is only on the right forearm. It features a Canadian maple leaf, the Purdue Boilermaker train, and the Memphis Grizzlies logo under a Mississippi Bridge silhouette. However, the sleeve will expand to the bicep soon. Edey has made it an annual tradition to commemorate his growth with new tattoos after all.
“I plan to keep adding to it.”
Edey's progress on the court has been just as deliberate. The Grizzlies' first-round pick in the 2024 draft played in 66 games his rookie season, making 55 starts and averaging 9.2 points and a rookie-leading 8.3 rebounds, earning him a spot on the All-Rookie first team. He really ramped up the production once Tuomas Iisalo took over as head coach.
As the ink dries and training camp heats up, Edey's right arm is buzzing with possibility. More tattoos? Undoubtedly. More impact? That's the bet once Zach Edey returns from injury. For fans wondering what's next for the towering center's body art, it seems the only limit is the canvas itself.
