The Best Basketball Reference Player Nicknames (The West)
I love Basketball Reference and if you love the NBA, you should love Basketball Reference. You can get so much information from their website, from comparing player seasons to searching for specific player seasons using various stats, and so much more. However, the most underrated aspect of the site is the nicknames that appear under a player’s name on their player page. I decided to comb through every single player’s page and find the best nicknames out of the lot. There were so many that I have broken them up into Eastern Conference and Western Conference. To the list!!!!!
Eric Gordon, The Hobbit
Eric Gordon has been great for the Rockets this year, but this nickname is strange to say the least. According to the article linked above, Gordon was given the nickname because he is undersized. Listed at 6'4, you don’t think of Gordon’s height as a disadvantage because the guy is built like a tank. He gets to the basket and has attacked the rim for a really good Rockets team. The Hobbit has made The Shire proud, shooting over 67% at the rim. He did a lot to help the Rockets mitigate the injury to Chris Paul, though James Harden has played pretty well too. While this nickname is bizarre, if Eric Gordon keeps playing like this, you might have to change it a character more befitting his sharpshooting abilities, Legolas.
Rudy Gay, The Great Rudini
Rudy Gay has been in the NBA for a while now and has played with many different teams and not once have I ever heard him called The Great Rudini. Perhaps it is because every time he disappears from a team, they get better. When the Spurs signed The Great Rudini this offseason, I was so confused because he seemed like a player that the Spurs would avoid. He has been pretty efficient for them and has helped them to an 11–6 record without two-way superstar Kawhi Leonard. He is playing a career low in minutes, but he is contributing to a winning team. Maybe his best trick yet will be transforming his career in San Antonio.
Jamal Murray, Blue Arrow
Jamal Murray came into the world as a shooter, but he didn’t earn the nickname Blue Arrow until his time at Kentucky, where he loosed an arrow celebration after made three pointers. Despite his sharpshooting nature, Murray has struggled from deep this season, hitting the bullseye a putrid 29% on four attempts per game. If the Nuggets hope to continue their playoff push without the recently injured Paul Millsap, they are going to need more from the Blue Arrow or they might find themselves as target practice in the loaded Western Conference.
Andrew Wiggins, Maple Jordan
This is a great nickname. The levels of meaning are unparalleled Maple because of Canada’s world-renowned maple syrup and Jordan because of Michael… oh, you get it. Maple Jordan had a up and down summer. While he was offered a max contract, there was a great deal of talk on whether or not he deserved it and there has also been a lot of noise about Robert Covington being better. While those things are debatable, we can all agree that Wiggins has a pretty “sweet” nickname. He has adjusted well to the addition of Jimmy Butler and despite some tough recent losses, the Timberwolves are 10–7 with a good team that is still getting to know one another. Wiggins has put up good numbers and is shooting a career high from the field and at the rim. He is hitting over 76% of his shots at the rim.
Mario Chalmers, The Superintendent
This nickname really has nothing to do with Mario Chalmers the basketball player as it does with his last name and a character from the Simpsons. I personally would go with the nickname Supernintendo for Chalmers. Chalmers has had a really good NBA career up to this point. He had the opportunity to play a big role for some championship Miami Heat teams and has now settled in as the backup point guard for the Memphis Grizzlies. Despite struggling as the starting point guard, he has been part of a really great bench unit that has helped the Grizzlies win some games. The Superintendent can still contribute as an NBA point guard, even if it is getting into fights. Now the Grizz just need to coax thirteen year NBA journeyman Brian Skinner out of retirement.
Derrick Jones, Airplane Mode Jones (Phoenix Suns)
I have never heard of Derrick Jones, even though he was in the dunk contest last year, and I assumed that Airplane Mode referred to the mode on your phone that you use on the airplane. It never occurred to me that it could reference someone’s leaping ability. His nickname fits as you can see here. He has been on the main roster this season, but has only appeared in 5 games. Airplane Mode can get up there.
Austin Rivers, Sub-Zero
When I first saw this nickname, I wasn’t sure if it was Austin Rivers’ nickname or his offensive rating. All kidding aside, Rivers has had a complicated career in the league and he takes a lot of criticism because he plays for his father. Rivers has turned into a solid player for the Clippers, but the nickname is confusing. Reading this story, it seems that Rivers picked it out for himself on his way to Duke. He has ice in his veins and that number is also the number of tournament wins that he got in his one year at Duke, 0. Despite my harshness, Rivers is shooting a career best from three at 39% and is doing his best for a Clippers team that is free falling to the bottom of the Western Conference. He has not really been 100% healthy this season and is not the playmaker that they need to get their offense going.
Harrison Barnes, Black Falcon
Harrison Barnes nickname was given to him at ESPN apparently. I am not sure why he got the nickname the Black Falcon, but what can you do? The Black Falcon has not fared so well since leaving the Golden State nest. While putting up career high numbers, he has lost a lot of games and that looks to continue this season. The Mavericks are the worst team in the league at 3–15 and it is unclear what they are doing to improve their lot in life. Seth Curry’s injury has really hurt them as has the fact that Rick Carlisle will not play Nerlens Noel for… some reason. In order for the Mavs to fly high, they need apex Black Falcon, something they have not had since he inked his four-year $94 million dollar contract last summer. But even if they don’t get the go-to scorer they hoped they had signed away from the Warriors, at least he has this cool nickname to cover his sins. And that’s worth something, right?
All stats courtesy of basketball-reference.com
