When Gary Trent Jr. walked into Immortal Ink in Salem two summers ago looking for a tattoo, his body was an open canvas.



Oh sure, there had been some work done on him before. A tattoo of a rocket on his left shin … a memorial to his grandmother on his left forearm … the words “God’s” and “Child” etched on the inside of each biceps. But for the most part, his body was a parcel of open land, and the expanse was needed.



Inside his mind, and really, inside his soul, Trent Jr. had a story to tell.



“You know how some people just get tattoos to get them?” Trent Jr. said. “Not me. Every tattoo I have has a meaningful reason, or a story behind it.”



By nature, he keeps to himself. His father — the former NBA forward who bears his name — said it was important to him that he raise his oldest son to be emotionally balanced, and it was with great pride that the elder Trent noticed Gary...