In most sports, players can be identified by their jersey as it displays a last name and player number. This is a standard in sports, and many athletes are known by their last names. However, in 2013, the NBA experimented with allowing players to wear jerseys with nicknames instead of their last names. The response turned out to be quite positive. Unfortunately, the experiment only lasted for a few games, but recently, there has been a push to bring the nickname jerseys back. Bringing them back would be a no-brainer. Nowadays, players get coined nicknames every year on social media. The abundance of highlights showcasing a certain athlete’s style of play encourages users to come up with witty nicknames for their favorite players. In this blog, we will take a look at the best potential nicknames for the current season.
- “The Joker” (Nikola Jokic)
Nikola Jokic received this nickname from his former coach, Mike Malone. During a training session, Malone was impressed with Jokic’s passing and ability to make his teammates better. Jokic is like the joker in a deck of cards – he can do anything on the court and is a wild card. Jokic’s unique and unpredictable play style absolutely plays into this name.
- “The Greek Freak” (Giannis Antetokounmpo)
This name stems from Giannis’s ethnicity and freakish combination of size, strength, and mobility. A seven-footer taking the ball up the court and then proceeding to drive to the rack with one dribble is something the NBA has never seen. It is a very fitting nickname for one of the most dominant forces in the league.
- “Uncle Drew” (Kyrie Irving)
The nickname “Uncle Drew” originated from a Pepsi Max commercial that Irving starred in back in 2012. In the commercial, Irving dressed up as an old man named “Uncle Drew” and played a few pickup games at a public court. Not knowing the true identity of “Uncle Drew”, many people watching the game were shocked when what looked like a 60-year-old man was draining shots from the logo. The commercial went viral and became a huge hit, leading to a series of subsequent “Uncle Drew” commercials and eventually a full-length feature film in 2018.
- “The Brow” (Anthony Davis)
The nickname “The Brow” was given to Davis by a sports writer during his college years at the University of Kentucky. The nickname is a reference to Davis’s most distinguishing physical feature – his unibrow. This physical characteristic became somewhat of a trademark for Davis, and the nickname “The Brow” stuck with him as he entered the NBA. He now embraces the nickname and has done many commercials and photo shoots showcasing “The Brow”.