Jason "White Chocolate" Williams (& 9 Other NBA Nicknames Fans Forgot About)
Everyone loves a good nickname. While anyone who enjoys sports will know that each and every sport is filled with unique nicknames for the many basketball legends, some of the strangest have found a home in the NBA. Stars, and even fans of basketball, seem to have a unique sense of humor when it comes to crafting the perfect nickname.
While many names have fun little stories attached to them, others seem to have almost no reason given for how the name cropped up. Sometimes ironic, sometimes made to pay respect, sometimes made to poke fun, and sometimes ripped straight from tv shows, nicknames help give any NBA star a lot more legitimacy.
10 Jason “White Chocolate” Williams
While there are many fantastic nicknames in the NBA, one of the all-time greatest has to be White Chocolate, the nickname given to Jason Williams. It’s said that he actually got the nickname during his rookie year with the Sacramento Kings.
Supposedly, the name was originally dubbed by a media relations assistant. She mentioned that the name came from Williams’ impressive style of play. One might expect more of a story for a nickname like that, but it seems to be one of the simpler stories.
9 Karl “The Mailman” Malone
Anyone who was a fan of Karl Malone will probably know exactly why he was nicknamed The Mailman even if they’ve never heard the official reason. That reason being, Malone was known for constant delivery on the court.
His reputation as one of the best power forwards to ever grace the NBA takes what might be a tame nickname for some, and raises it to fantastic levels. Every single one of Malone’s biggest fans knows that The Mailman never fails to deliver, something that led him to two season MVP awards.
8 Daniel “Boobie” Gibson
Most people probably wouldn’t want anyone referring to them as Boobie, but Daniel Gibson never seemed to mind. While there have been questions on where exactly the nickname comes from, it seems that it was originally given to him by his mother.
Spending his entire NBA career with the Cavaliers, Gibson did what he could to stand out but ultimately proved to not be anything special. He managed to get his own reality series at one point, but his interesting nickname seems to be one that most fans ridicule these days.
7 Damon “The World’s Greatest Shooter” Jones
While Damon Jones’ monicker as "The World’s Greatest Shooter" definitely isn’t true when you look at NBA statistics, it’s still a fantastic nickname people have forgotten about. To be fair, Jones’ biggest fans likely haven’t forgotten about it since it’s become a bit of a meme.
The story behind the nickname might turn some people off, as rather than being bestowed that name by a hyped-up fan or a team member, Jones gave it to himself. In reality, most people would probably want to bestow a nickname like that to someone like Stephen Curry.
6 Eric “Mini-LeBron” Bledsoe
A lot has been said about exactly how Eric Bledsoe received the nickname Mini-LeBron, but regardless of how he got it, even major NBA players use the name. Some say that he got the name for obvious reasons from Jamal Crawford while Bledsoe was on the Clippers.
Those reasons tend to be that both Bledsoe and LeBron are incredible athletes with a ton of power, and because of that, they resemble one another quite a bit. Unfortunately for Bledsoe, he’s much shorter than LeBron, hence the mini part of the name.
5 Andre “Big Penguin” Drummond
One of the funniest things about Andre Drummond’s nickname of Big Penguin is that he actually admitted he had no idea why people called him that. Even other NBA players have had questions for Drummond, but he still has no idea who gave him the name.
Apparently, Drummond’s best guess is that since he loves penguins, someone used that to give him a funny little nickname. There isn’t a single other reason anyone can point to as to why anyone would refer to someone like Drummond as a penguin.
4 Isaiah “The King In The Fourth” Thomas
People who watched the hit series Game Of Thrones will likely get the reference that is within Isaiah Thomas’ nickname, The King In The Fourth. Where the nickname comes from is anyone’s guess, but it’s likely that it was a brilliant marketing move from the Celtics.
The nickname is a play on words from The King In The North, the title given to the ruler of the north in the hit HBO series. Thomas’ ability to make clutch plays in the fourth at that time provided the perfect opportunity for a fantastic nickname.
3 Rudy “The Stifle Tower” Gobert
It should be said that every team in the NBA was champing at the bit to get Rudy Gobert onto their team. It’s no secret that Gobert is an absolutely massive man with an incredible wingspan, and that is what is said to have earned him the nickname The Stifle Tower.
Considering Gobert was the blocking leader in the NBA in 2017, the nickname was a pretty solid choice. Most NBA fans are aware of how tough it is to navigate a court when someone is stuck facing off against someone like Gobert.
2 Andrew “Maple Jordan” Wiggins
At a glance, the Maple Jordan nickname that Andrew Wiggins has might seem a bit strange, but it starts to make a bit more sense the more you look into it. First, the maple part of the name is a simple reference to the fact that Andrew Wiggins is Canadian.
Everyone should be well aware of the fact that the Jordan part of the nickname is referring to one of the greatest players of all time, Michael Jordan. Wiggins’ current coach Steve Kerr (who played with Jordan) wasn’t even aware of the name for quite some time.
1 Draymond “Dancing Bear” Green
Yes, for a long time in college, Draymond Green was referred to as Dancing Bear. The name seemed to have disappeared once he hit the NBA, but the nickname has popped back up a few times in recent years.
Exactly why he got that nickname is up to the people he played with in college. Some have said that it probably came from Draymond’s jolly nature and his generally large stature on the court. Whatever the reason, Dancing Bear is a nickname most people probably forgot about.
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