"Bro's sealing the food in there" - NBA fans react to Zion Williamson getting Naruto-inspired seal tattoo around his belly button

Zion Williamson of the New Orleans Pelicans is a huge fan of anime, particularly "Naruto," one of the most popular in history. Williamson took his fandom to another level when he got a Naruto-inspired tattoo around his belly button. NBA fans reacted to the Pelicans star's latest ink on social media.

In a post on Instagram, Louisiana-based artist Nova Tattoo shared that he did some ink work on Williamson. One of the tattoos he had was the Eight Sign Seal, the seal on Naruto's stomach used to prevent the Nine-Tailed Fox from taking over the ninja world.

For those not familiar with "Naruto," it's an anime about Naruto Uzumaki, a ninja and the main protagonist. It was originally released as a manga in 1999 and ended in 2014. It was then turned into an animated series in 2002, which was on air until 2017.

While there are a lot of passionate fans of "Naruto," some couldn't help but crack some jokes at the expense of Williamson. The two-time NBA All-Star is having a solid season although he has missed a lot of games due to a hamstring injury.

"Bro's sealing the food in there," a fan tweeted.

"Sealing all the calories inside him for later use," one fan said.

"That thing gonna look like a bowl of Ramen in 10 years," another fan wrote.

Williamson collaborated with VIZ Media for the design of his Naruto-inspired signature shoes, proving that he's a die-hard fan of the anime.

"Maybe he can unlock the 9 tails chakra and stay healthy the whole season," a fan tweeted.

"When he lets that demon out, league shaking tho," one fan commented.

"He a anime fan with money, let the young man do him," another fan commented.

"Naruto" might have ended more than a decade ago, but it led to a spin-off called "Boruto." It was about Naruto's son and the show is on hiatus.

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Zion Williamson once explained how Naruto inspired him in real life

Zion Williamson once explained how Naruto inspired him in real life. (Photo: IMAGN)

Speaking to GQ Sports in August 2022, Zion Williamson explained how important anime was in his life, especially Naruto the character. Williamson drew a lot of inspiration from Naruto, who always reminded him to be true to himself and avoid listening to the outside noises.

"I had to come to a realization," Williamson said. "No matter what the world is saying, I have to remember that I am who I am and stay true to that. That's what Naruto did, and that's what I'm going to do."

Williamson continues to deal with a lot of criticism following another injury-riddled season; however, he's averaging 24.2 points, 7.4 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.3 steals in 21 games.