NBA: Top 10 Nicknames Of All Time
We take a look at some of the best, most creative nicknames in the NBA.
In the NBA, there are a lot of stars. There are some superstars as well. These stars fly gracefully through the air, find the rim while up there, and jam the ball through. They take shots from the parking lot and hit nothing but net.
It seems that to be considered a star in the league, or to gain some respect, a player has to have a nickname. Once you are given a nickname, you know you have arrived.
Paul Pierce said the same thing years ago. “Once you gain a nickname in this league, that’s the ultimate respect.”
Now those words came from a guy nicknamed “The Truth” so you know you can believe him.
10. Glenn Davis-“Big Baby”
This nickname is just perfect for Davis. He is a big guy, he has chubby cheeks and no one will ever think of him as a mature player.
The way he got the nickname was pretty remarkable, too. Kevin Garnett ripped into him during a game, and Davis did not take to well to it. He ended up crying on the bench after Garnett’s tirade. The name stuck ever since.
9. Robert Horry- “Big Shot Bob”
Horry was not the greatest of players. He had a decent career. When he got to the playoffs, however, something happened. He kept hitting big shot after big shot. He was never a primary focus of any offense, yet when the game was on the line, the ball always seemed to get to his hands. And his shots always seemed to go in.
His seven championship rings can attest to that.
8. Ray Allen- “Jesus Shuttlesworth”
Allen got this nickname from a movie by Spike Lee named He Got Game. A movie he starred in. He played Jesus Shuttlesworth, a spectacular high school basketball phenom who was trying to decide which college he was going to attend.
Shuttlesworth was a celebrity in the movie, and so was Allen, so the name stuck to him. Jesus Shuttlesworth just sounds like a badass who would own any court he walked on. It sounds like the name of a guy who could hit one of the biggest shots in NBA Finals history, doesn’t it?
7. Paul Pierce- “The Truth”
The date was March 13, 2001. It was Paul Pierce’s third season in the NBA. The Boston Celtics went into Los Angeles, Pierce’s hometown, to play the Lakers.
The Lakers won the game, but Pierce scored 42 points on 13-of-19 shooting. After the game, Shaquille O’Neal spoke to a Boston reporter. “Take this down. My name is Shaquille O’Neal and Paul Pierce is the motherf— truth.” Pierce had not gotten much attention before that, but after Shaq’s words, well… the rest is history.
6. George Gervin- “The Iceman”
Gervin got his nickname for his ability to always be cool. Not just cool as in relaxed during big moments in ballgames, but also cool as in he never sweat.
Legend has it that even after long practices, Gervin would never sweat. I guess he saved the team money in towels.
Gervin sure was one smooth character on the court. He had the craziest finger rolls in the NBA, some of them from as far back as the free throw line. He could make a shot at anytime. He had ice in his veins, and that is why he had a perfect nickname.
5. Darryl Dawkins- “Chocolate Thunder”
Dawkins was a legendary player. He was also a guy who was unique. He named all his dunks, and claimed he was from a planet called Lovetron.
How he got his nickname was legendary as well. He received his moniker from none other than Stevie Wonder. Wonder was at a game one day, and had a friend call out the game for him. Every time Dawkins did something, Wonder’s friend would say “The chocolate guy with a monster dunk,” and “The chocolate guy got another thunderous dunk.” He said it so much that Wonder ended up calling Dawkins Chocolate Thunder.
Dawkins made a habit of tearing down rims so the nickname stuck, and was a perfect description for him.
4. Hakeem Olajuwon- “The Dream”
Olajuwon had some crazy ability on the court. He played soccer when he was young, so that developed his incredible footwork. He was one of the greatest NBA players of all time, having a great touch shooting fadeaways and was a great defender.
Off the court, Olajuwon was just as great of a person as he was a player. No one had a bad word to say about him.
The combination of the two made Hakeem Olajuwon a dream to coach and a dream teammate. It is the reason today’s players like LeBron James go to him to learn to play the post game better.
That is how he got his nickname, and it was well deserved.
3. Kobe Bryant- “Black Mamba”
The Black Mamba is Africa’s longest venomous snake and its bite can kill a human in about 30 minutes. It is an aggressive and fast species of snake.
That’s pretty deadly. And that’s about as deadly as Bryant has been in his magnificent career. Even though he recently broke the record for most missed shots in NBA history, he has killed many players’ dreams of winning a title. He is moving up the all time scoring list, probably passing Michael Jordan this season.
The nickname can also describe Bryant’s attitude towards teammates. He has been known to aggressively go after his own teammates such as Pau Gasol, Dwight Howard, Karl Malone and Shaquille O’Neal. He may be 35, but the Mamba is as deadly as ever.
2. Earvin Johnson- “Magic”
The passing ability. The scoring ability. The defense. The leadership. All these skills helped Johnson become a Hall of Fame point guard (who could also guard a center during the playoffs). Then there is that smile.
That smile lit up everything in its sight. It seemed like that smile was permanently frozen on his face. Even after he got called for one of the fouls he always claimed he never committed, soon after the smile would be right back.
All of that mixed together to create Magic. It created so much magic that anything Johnson touched turned to gold. His business career off the court has been so successful that many of the kids that follow basketball today know him more for his Starbucks franchises or his movie theater chains more than as a basketball player.
Not even HIV could keep Magic down. He was diagnosed with the killer disease two decades ago, yet today there is almost no evidence of the disease in his system.
Earvin Johnson has certainly lived a Magical life.
1. Michael Jordan- “Air Jordan”
Jordan had one of the greatest careers in NBA history. He became so big, everyone on the planet knew who he was.
Jordan had several nicknames, but the one that stuck on him was Air. It perfectly described what he did when he took off for a dunk. It was cemented when he took off from the free throw line in a slam dunk contest. The time he spent in the air, sticking his tongue out, then his chest. Watching it live, you actually thought he might just fly.
Jordan’s nickname has become iconic. It is not only just a name now, but a brand. Air Jordan has gone from being a nickname, to being part of a corporation that many of today’s athletes want to be a part of.
When someone says Air Jordan, the vision of Jordan up in the air, ducking under the rim, comes to mind.
Air Jordan is the best NBA nickname of all time. It is more well-known than any other on this list or any other list. It is the most iconic, and will be known for generations to come.
Tell me what you think of this list (be nice!). Who would you have as the top nickname?
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