Top 10 NBA Player Names 2004-2005 All Nickname Edition
Posted in: Basketball on Oct 8
The NBA season starts on Sunday, so once again it's time for this ridiculous charade where I pick the best player names. This year I've decided to go with the best nicknames.
The Rules:- All players on the list have to be active this year. ESPN's Page 2 already has a list of
all-time
nicknames.
- Simple nicknames based on a player's first or last name, a la Steve "Franchise" Francis or even Stephon "Starbury" Marbury, are out.
- Foreshortened nicknames of the Tracy "T-Mac" McGrady variety will not be recognized, nor will initials. Thus Kevin "KG" Garnett could not make the list, though Kevin "The Kid" Garnett could (but didn't). Unfortunately, I also had to rule out Andrei "AK-47" Kirilenko on those grounds.
- I'm also not considering players whose official NBA player file lists a nickname as a first name, as in Martyn "Moochie" Norris or Vernell "Bimbo" Coles (and probably Speedy Claxton and Bonzi Wells, too).
- I love you Nene, you're the Mango of the NBA. But you didn't make the cut due to the "No Bonos" rule.
Beyond that, the list is entirely subjective and based on nicknames I found through Google or heard people use during games last season. Add your own favourites in the comments! (But review the rules first--I don't want to find a "C-Webb" in there.)
Okay, onto the top 10 NBA player names 2004-2005 all nickname edition:
- 10.
- Jerome "Junk Yard Dog" Williams
- 9.
- Richard "Rip" Hamilton
- 8.
- Jamaal "Mel Mel The Abuser" Tinsley
- 7.
- Tayshaun "Pterodactyl" Prince (I'm sure I heard this one in Eastern Conference finals last year)
- 6.
- Dikembe "Air Zaire" Mutombo
- 5.
- Shawn "The Matrix" Marion
- 4.
- Jason "White Chocolate" Williams (he nearly made the list again with "Spring Break")
- 3.
- Darko "The Human Victory Cigar" Milicic
- 2.
- Ray "Jesus Shuttlesworth" Allen
- 1.
- Yao "Shaqie Chan" Ming
Posted by Gene Smith on Oct 8, 2004
