Derrick Rose’s tattoos read like a record of the people, places and ideas that have shaped him: Chicago, family, faith and the words he returns to when his career gets difficult. In 2024, new tattoos on his face brought fresh attention to the collection.

Here’s what has been documented about the Derrick Rose tattoos, including the newer pieces and the older designs that still matter. Rose may add or touch up work over time, so this guide sticks to tattoos shown in published coverage or clear interview photos.

What tattoos does Derrick Rose have?

Rose has tattoos on his face, neck, chest, shoulders, arms, hands, back and legs. They include lettering, names, portraits, religious imagery and references to Chicago. Rather than one large theme or sleeve, the designs return to family, faith, home and personal grit.

Older coverage describes a cross and the words “Only God Can Judge Me” on his right shoulder. His right hand carries his mother Brenda’s name, while his forearm has “Everybody Eats,” a phrase tied to the friends and neighborhood where he grew up. Photos also show Japanese lettering inside his right arm and “Englewood” near his right elbow, naming the Chicago neighborhood that’s part of his story.

The image below shows several areas together: the face tattoos, neck ink and larger pieces across his body. It gives a sense of the full collection beyond any one design.

Derrick Rose’s new face tattoos: “AAA” and “Privilege Knowledge”

The face tattoos that drew the most attention arrived in May 2024. Tattoo artist Jose Guijosa, known as Killer Tattoos, worked on Rose over Memorial Day weekend. TMZ reported that the sessions added two designs to the left side of his face.

One is a vertical “AAA” on his cheek, just left of his ear. The initials refer to his wife, Alaina A. Anderson. The Daily Mail also described the letters running vertically along his cheek. They can be hard to see in a game photo, but they stand out in close-ups.

The second piece reads “Privilege Knowledge” and sits higher on his temple. Rose had visible tattoos before, but the lettering is hard to miss in an interview or on court. Its short wording also fits older pieces in his collection, many of which use phrases instead of elaborate color.

This close-up shows how the pieces sit: “Privilege Knowledge” is compact, while “AAA” forms a separate vertical line down his cheek.

The “Khammurrabi” abdomen tattoo and the new work around it

The same 2024 sessions included work beyond Rose’s face. Guijosa told TMZ that Rose also got “Khammurrabi” tattooed across his abdomen. That is the spelling used in the reports and the clearest description currently available.

The word sits within a larger collection of chest and stomach tattoos. Photos show it across the lower torso, framed by older images and lettering. Rose has added new work around existing pieces over time rather than starting with a blank area each time.

Guijosa also said Rose had one of his family tribute tattoos on his hand touched up that weekend. The Daily Mail identified the lettering as his mother Brenda’s name. A touch-up can sharpen lines or restore contrast after years of wear without changing the design completely.

This view helps show why the update was more than a story about face tattoos. The new work reaches across his head and torso, while the older pieces on his arms and hands remain part of the same collection.

Family, Chicago and Rose’s meaningful lettering

Family is one of the clearest themes in Rose’s tattoos. His mother’s name, Brenda, is on his right hand, and “AAA” connects the new face work to his wife. An older design on his left chest places “Family First” inside a rose. It’s a direct message, consistent with the way Rose has spoken about playing for his family and children.

Chicago appears just as often. A skyline on his left hand sits beneath “Sweet Home Chicago,” while “Englewood” near his right elbow names a particular neighborhood rather than using the city as a general backdrop. Those details make the tattoos feel personal, not like standard sports imagery.

His shoulders add more biography. One carries his birth year, 1988. Another has “Poohdini,” a nickname tied to his childhood nickname Pooh and his ability to make unusual plays on the court. Reports describe a wizard dribbling a basketball alongside the name.

Rose also has a neck tattoo reading “God Speed” beneath a triangle. It has a different tone from the family names and hometown references, but still fits the collection’s use of short phrases with personal weight.

The next close-up shows how the newer lettering sits beside the older tattoos. The pieces don’t form one neat arrangement; they overlap visually as the collection has grown.

Rose’s leg tattoos: Bruce Lee, Malcolm X and Bob Marley

Rose’s legs carry some of his most recognizable portrait tattoos. ClutchPoints reported that he got a Bruce Lee tattoo on his thigh in 2017. The same overview mentioned earlier designs of Malcolm X and Bob Marley. The portraits point to people Rose has admired for their influence and voice.

Rose has spoken about the connection to Malcolm X. Asked which socially conscious figure he looked up to, he named Malcolm X rather than an athlete. He mentioned Malcolm X’s ties to Detroit and his grandmother talking about him when Rose was young. That context gives the portrait a personal meaning beyond the image itself.

Portraits on an athlete’s leg need strong contrast and careful placement. The leg is a large surface and the tattoo can be visible in shorts, but it shifts as Rose runs. The archival image below shows the scale of one of the portraits.

The wrist quote and the idea behind “massive success”

One of Rose’s more personal tattoos is on his inner left wrist. An archival NBA tattoos feature described it as a Frank Sinatra-inspired line: “The best revenge is massive success.” Rose showed it in an interview and said he was playing for himself, his family, and his son and daughter.

That quote adds context to the shorter phrases in the collection. “Family First,” “Sweet Home Chicago,” “God Speed” and the Sinatra line all work as reminders of people and places he carries with him through the pressure around basketball.

Other designs have been reported but are harder to verify in clear close-up photos, including “God’s Child” on his back and a baby angel on his neck. Those are best described as reported tattoos rather than equally well-documented pieces.
Why Derrick Rose’s tattoos stand out

Rose’s tattoos mix quiet personal references with the immediate visibility of his newer face lettering. The older work rewards a closer look: family names, hometown phrases, portraits and quotes. The new designs are more visible, but still connect to people, identity and ambition.

The collection keeps changing. In 2024, Rose added “AAA,” “Privilege Knowledge” and “Khammurrabi,” and had the hand tattoo refreshed. Any full list is a snapshot; another tribute could change it again.

For now, the clearest picture is of an athlete with tattoos across much of his body, all tied to a personal thread: his mother, wife, children, Chicago roots, heroes and the mindset that helped him through a long career.

Related: Explore more athlete and celebrity ink in our Celebrities tattoo archive.

Watch a relevant Derrick Rose tattoo discussion below: