By: Maurice K Dixon
Chris Paul is rare. Not just because of his amazing ability to change direction in a split second or his position of being one of the best in assists and assists-to-turnovers ratio in the NBA. Dwyane Wade is in the same boat. And not due to his talent of effortlessly splitting two defenders on a pick-and-roll prior to attacking the rim without fear of contact. The physically and athletically gifted Dwight Howard rounds out this trio of established young stars, who are a majority in the league due to their African American heritage (83 percent of NBA players are black).
Yet, these three are minorities when compared to many of their counterparts since neither of them dons any viewable tattoos. Along with a handful of other players, Paul, Wade and Howard would almost be a better fit in the 80’s and 90’s. Their styles of play do not carry a retro tag, but their unmarked skin does in a league where nearly 80 percent of its players display body art, which is totally out of control like gas prices.