LeBron James wants to help Andre Drummond with a new nickname
By Kristen Wong
Andre Drummond has been dubbed “Big Penguin” by fans on the internet, and while it isn’t the worst nickname to have, it isn’t very threatening either.
During a press conference after Tuesday night’s game against the Charlotte Hornets, the Los Angeles Lakers center was asked about the origins of the avian nickname.
Drummond told the reporter, “Bron came up to me one day and said ‘Yo, is your nickname ‘Big Penguin?’ I said, ‘Man, don’t know where that came from or how it started or who came up with the name. All I know is somebody must have found out that penguins are one of my favorite animals and they kind of just, I guess, put the two and two together.”
Just how much does Drummond like penguins?
Well, when former teammate Greg Monroe asked him what his favorite movie was, Drummond responded, “Happy Feet” (his other favorites include “March of the Penguins” and “Happy Feet 2”). During the offseason, Drummond once made a Vine featuring him in a penguin costume; and he proudly owns signature socks that showcase his favorite animal.
What’s in a nickname? For Andre Drummond, it’s his love of penguins
So Drummond doesn’t just like penguins — he loves them.
But just because a player loves something doesn’t mean he should necessarily be named after it. Imagine if Kobe Bryant really loved, say, cereal. Where would “Black Mamba” be then? He might have been called something atrocious like “Hoop Loops” or “Frosted Fakes.” Imagine that.
Drummond admitted he wasn’t a huge fan of the cutesy name himself: “I think I need a more aggressive nickname than ‘Big Penguin’. But the kids can call me that.”
In any case, teammate LeBron James probably wants to find Drummond a new moniker more worthy of winning championships. “King James” playing with the “Big Penguin” just doesn’t sound right.