22. “Pistol” Pete Maravich
Pete Maravich would have been an icon in the NBA and the game of basketball even if he didn’t have a birth name. He was simply that transcendent and unique of a talent on the basketball court and, though it’s morbid, his untimely passing away only furthered his legend. However, his famous “Pistol” Pete nickname takes his fame and his legend to a whole other plateau.
For starters, the origins of the nickname are just perfect. When he was a high school player and before he gained any kind of major fame, his teammates and coaches noted that Maravich would should the ball from his side often, almost like shooting a revolver from the hip. Subsequently, they dubbed him “Pistol” and the name followed him all throughout his college and professional career and even after his death.
It’d be negligent not to mention the fact that the quality of the nickname is aided by how well the name “Pistol” Pete just rolls off of the tongue. It almost sounds like a cartoon character because of how perfect it sounds. And really, Maravich was a bit like a cartoon character in what he could do on a basketball court. He was a surreal ball-handler, passer, and scorer and there aren’t many players from his era that don’t marvel looking back at “Pistol” Pete.
Next: No. 21 The Glove