Brad Calipari is epitomizing the meaning of his tattoo: Earned Not Given

Unfortunately, Brad Calipari is no longer on the Kentucky Wildcats’ sideline after graduating in three years and transferring to Detroit-Mercy.

However, while some of us miss Brad’s swag on and off the court, he’s right where he wants to be. And he’s finally epitomizing the meaning of his infamous tattoo: Earned Not Given.

“People think that I don’t do the work, that it is handed to me and that my dad lets me kind of ride his coattails basically,” Calipari told ESPN’s Michael Rothstein. “That’s just kind of something that can stick with you.”

Living in the shadow of your father’s spotlight can be a difficult task. And while many doubted Brad’s ability on the court, he’s finally proving them all wrong.

So far this season, Brad is averaging 7.4 points per game while shooting 42 percent from three. He’s scored in double figures five times in 14 games.

The points per game won’t jump off the page, but the three-point percentage does. A lot of people didn’t think Brad would make it at the Division-I level, but he’s doing just fine.

The youngest Calipari went on to discuss his decision to transfer from Kentucky. He also talked about his tattoo and why it means so much to him, while the rest of his family has kind of made it an inside joke.

One of the more interesting tidbits from the article was assistant coach Kenny Payne and Brad talking about his dominance from deep during a practice at UK in a gym full of future NBA players.

“He runs off 12 in a row, 13 in a row, and he’s sprinting,” Kenny Payne said. “That’s pretty hard to do.”

Brad laughed and insisted that Payne was “lowballing me. It was not 11, 12, 13. It was 15, at least.”

I’m not sure about you, but I miss the Brad Swag in Lexington. However, I’m happy he’s finally making his own path in Detroit.

Good luck to Brad as he continues to earn a name for himself.