What’s in a Name? The NBA has some of the most memorable nicknames in the history of sports. From Wilt the Stilt to Magic and King James.
My favorite of all is the Bad Boys Detroit Pistons. Not only did the team as a collective earn a timeless nickname but the roster was full of individual nicknames as well. Hell even the HOF Coach Chuck Daly aka “Daddy Rich” had one for his sharp fits.
The Captain Isiah Thomas “Zeke” and two-guard “Joey D” Joe Dumars may lack in the creativity department as far nicknames go but neither lacked electricity on the court, sparking the Pistons attack in highlight fashion for their careers.
The Baddest Bad Boys of All
Rick Mahorn and Bill Laimbeer were called many nicknames throughout the league “Black Hat”, “Vader of the NBA” to the name a couple. Mostly they were called expletives by other teams and pundits for their brutal approach to the game.
Now it Gets Interesting
Enter John “The Spider” Salley. A long bouncy center that routinely caught players in his defensive web feasting in the form of blocked shots.
Dennis Rodman, “The Worm” before he fully let his freak flag fly he was defensive player of the year and rebounding genius with Detroit. However, the nickname comes from the way he would wiggle frantically while playing pinball.
James “Buddha” Edwards. He was dubbed Buddha by teammates Rick Mahorn and Vinnie Johnson for his Fu-Manchu style mustache and stoic mannerism. Label me a Buddha lover because this silly nickname is one of my all-time favorites.
Save the Best for Last
Vinnie “Microwave” Johnson. Danny Ainge is actually the one who gave him the Microwave moniker after he hit 22 of his 34 points in the fourth quarter of the 1985 Eastern Conference Finals. “If that guy in Chicago is the ‘Refrigerator’ then Vinnie Johnson is the ‘Microwave’. He sure heated up in a hurry.” So perfectly dated and unique it is truly an all-time great NBA nickname.
What’s in a name? With the name is Bad Boys a whirlwind of images and feelings are conjured in our heads. Love them or hate them you can’t deny how perfect that name fits.
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