It has only been a few weeks since the Michigan Wolverines won their first national championship in men's college basketball since 1989. With the 2026 NBA Draft coming up, first-round hopeful Morez Johnson Jr. carved out some time to get some new ink. During the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago, he was showing off the new national championship tattoo on his wrist for anybody who wanted to see it.
Johnson said that head coach Dusty May is going to be, "getting one, too when he gets some time."
Morez Johnson Jr. shows off his Michigan natty tattoo
— Clayton Sayfie (@CSayf23) May 13, 2026
“Dusty’s getting one, too, when he gets some time.” pic.twitter.com/TvRASEb5wX
Here is a close-up of Johnson's new tattoo. You can see the Michigan M with some excellent shading.
— Clayton Sayfie (@CSayf23) May 13, 2026
There is a lot to unpack here, so we are going to do our very best to do that with this new tattoo of his.
With Johnson retaining his eligibility upon entering the 2026 NBA Draft, here is what is at stake for the Wolverines... If Johnson ends up being a first-round pick, he is going to turn pro. He has that guarantee as a part of his negotiating process. Should he make it past the top 30, then there is one spot left on the Michigan roster for him to occupy. It is looking increasingly likely that he will turn pro.
While players can get tattoos whenever they want as undergrads, this one seems to have finality to it.
Morez Johnson Jr.'s new Michigan tattoo is another sign he is NBA ready
There are a few things at play here that have varying levels of surprise to them. With Johnson testing the NBA waters while retaining his eligibility is the least surprising, beating out him trending toward being a first-round pick or even getting a championship tattoo, the fact May may be goaded into getting one comes as a little bit of a shock. Some coaches get championship tattoos. Others do not.
The news of all this does come back to one larger mental construct. That would be finality. Johnson getting this new ink and showing it off during the NBA Draft Combine largely indicates the Michigan chapter of his life is rapidly coming to a close, if it is not already... Given the overly transactional nature of the transfer portal era, it is hard to see a player with any championship ink playing on another team.
That is why getting a commemorative tattoo such as this while still being in school is a bit risky. There have been many players in many different sports who get tattoos for being part of one team, only to later play for another. The offseason is the time to get new ink, but it is all about gearing up for the NBA Draft now for Johnson. He should join Yaxel Lendeborg and Aday Mara as likely first-round picks.
Right now, Johnson should feel incredibly confident about his chances of joining a good NBA team. Because he is a mid-to-late first-round projection, a playoff team is more likely bound to select him. Yes, trades do happen in the NBA Draft after premeditated picks are made. However, even after an impressive combine, Johnson is not likely to crack the lottery portion of the first round in this draft.
No matter what comes next for Johnson, he can just to look down at his wrist to know he is a champ.
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