OKC Thunder: Genesis of player nicknames OK3, Brodie, and Chinese versions
Best nicknames in NBA:
Throughout history there are a ton of great nicknames often indicative of the players style or ones that can never be considered for someone else. Junkyard Dog for example is a great nickname but far too many players have used it. If it’s not synonymous to one player, than it’s not the perfect name.
My top 20:
In no particular this is my top 20 list of favorite NBA nicknames. Some make the cut despite seeming simple. For example Air Jordan or His Airness is about as simple as it gets, but the moniker is definitively MJ.
- Pete Maravich – Pistol Pete
- Allen Iverson – The Answer
- Paul Pierce – The Truth
- Timmy Duncan – The Big Fundamental
- Michael Jordan – Air Jordan or His Airness
- Kobe Bryant – Black Mamba
- George Gervin – The Iceman
- Eric “Sleepy” Floyd
- Gilbert Arenas – Agent Zero
- Stephen Curry – Baby-Faced Assassin
- Jimmy Butler – Jimmy Buckets
- Charles Barkley – Round Mound of Rebound
- Brent Barry – Bones
- Earvin “Magic” Johnson, (fans believed it was his given name)
- Glen Davis “Big Baby” (when Kevin Garnett made him cry it was glorious)
- Vinnie Johnson – The Microwave
- Gary Payton – The Glove
- Clyde “The Glide” Drexler
- Karl Malone – The Mailman
- Julius Erving – The Doctor or Dr. J