The attention even got Smart a look in the NFL, and he managed to stick around for parts of five seasons, including 2003, when he scored his only NFL TD in style on a 100-yard kick return. Nicknames of other athletes at the Summer Olympics . Toggle the table of contents . MJ won a total of six NBA titles, six Finals MVPs, five regular-season MVPs, one Defensive Player of the Year award, 10 scoring titles and three All-Star MVPs in his 15-year career with the Bulls and Washington Wizards. He went on to wear it at LA Galaxy where he is credited as one of the main driving forces in the growth of MLS and football in America over the last decade. Although this particular species can do a masterful robot dance. Second only to Jordan, LeBron James is a legend of basketball and widely regarded as the current best. Report. Sometimes the simplest nicknames are best, and what better one for a man many still consider baseball's true home run king than "Hammerin' Hank." This was in the mid-1990s, at a time when Michael Jordan was not in the league, and its popularity was not nearly what it is today. 23 in NBA history. Ranging from the Grandpa of Indian Team to The Little Master, his names continue to endure the test of time. Follow @z_pumerantz, extramarital affair he was allegedly having with his wife's brother's wife. Whitaker's nickname actually comes from the mishearing by a sportswriter of what his fans actually called him, which was "Sweet Pete.". 7 Jun 1998: Michael Jordan #23 of the Chicago Bulls walking to the bench duing a time out called during the NBA Finals game 3 against the Utah Jazz at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. Sept. 12, 2012 12 AM PT. Tom Brady. Wayne Gretzky might be the sport's greatest player, but Red Wings legend Gordie Howe, in many respects, was its most popular. Many of his knockout victories have followed flurries of punches, knees and kicks that would have fatigued other fighters. In a New York Times interview over a decade ago, Esiason announced that the nickname had been created by his own mother, prior to his birth, because of how much he kicked while she was pregnant. She was a crowd favourite wherever she raced. "Rocket" Roger is currently third all-time with regard to Major League Baseball strikeouts, after Nolan Ryan and Randy Johnson. The "Prime Time" moniker, while it could have stemmed from any number of high-profile feats in pro sports, originated from evening pickup basketball games Sanders used to play with a high school teammate, where, unsurprisingly, his athletic feats left mouths agape. Given what became of his postplaying days, the "Hustle" part seems especially apropos. name of water birds with picture; lucas luetge scouting report. Especially considering CBS reported that James refers to himself as the King in texts. No one is entirely sure what the genesis of Payton's nickname is, other than the fact that he picked it up in college. Because he wasnt around, I thought of my return as a new beginning. Hima Das, nicknamed Dhing Express, is India's heartthrob from Assam. If your team was playing against Horry, had a two-point lead late in the game and his team had the ball, you were rightfully petrified. The Team clue is for the team that that athlete is most notable for while wearing the #23, not their current teams. T ennis legend Martina Navratilova, who is openly lesbian, has been ousted from the board of Athlete Ally, a nonprofit that promotes LGBT inclusion in sports. Submit your nickname or copy the best name style from the list. One doesn't get a name like "Magic" without showing something special on the court. No. Free, a 1980 All-Star with a rainbow jumper, receding hairline and tremendous name. It feels safe to say that's an event that won't happen again for a long time, if ever. While it is true that most self-given nicknames don't take hold, Ali's did. 3 Teams. But it was actually one he had carried with him since high school when his coach bestowed it on him after a long, winding touchdown run. The owner of the Charlotte Hornets has earned lucky number thirteen here due to his iconic nickname. What legendary athlete has the number 23 nickname? The pick total of 336 over the course of his career is indicative of the origin of his nickname "The Gunslinger.". There is no readily apparent reason why Parker was known as "The Cobra," (although it is thought to have stemmed from his bat-waving stance), but given his physical gifts and the fact that he once hit a ball so hard that the seams ruptured yes, he literally hit the cover off the ball one imagines that it also might have had something to do with his bat speed and the lightning quickness with which he turned pitches into screaming line drives. I came in during the World era, so Henry Sanchez, Jovontae Turner, and Guy Mariano are the three most influential skaters in my life besides Kareem Campbell, who came a bit later. July 22, 2022 by Rob Navarro. The God of Cricket, Bradman of Modern era, whether he tired. Oh, and he throws a slider so nasty that if you miss it by 3 feet, no one will bat an eyelash. View Reports-/5-RATE QUIZ. Like English, other great players wore the number for some games. Aaron . He was by no means a large and imposing figure, but he played with the bravery of a ten-foot-tall behemoth while also being the fastest player on the ice. Much like Magic Johnson, Tiger Woods' real name might as well be Tiger. Legendary nicknames - The most original athlete nicknames. If you answer "no" to one or both, then you probably don't like it. As great as it was, it was also the basis for one of the legendary lines of trash talk in league history. But here's a few of them: "The Big Fella," "Diesel . But due to her southern accent, the word came out sounding like "Penny." The five time All-Star and two time American League MVP was selected to the Baseball Hall of Fame earlier this year. Hirsch was a tall, lanky guy with an unusual running style, and it is that running style that earned him the "Crazy Legs" nickname, with some observers suggesting that it appeared his legs were moving in six different directions at once. but there are none as clearly defined as Wayne Gretzky is to the NHL. The nickname was coined by Ken Harrelson while Thomas was a member of the Chicago White Sox early in his career. 1. Send a Message. Clemens won the Cy Young award seven times and the World Series twice. By, Mark Rucker/Transcendental Graphics/Getty Images, Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images, Cincinnati/Collegiate Images/Getty Images, Matt A. Brown/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images, B Bennett/Bruce Bennett Studios/Getty Images, Paul Tepley Colection/Diamond Images/Getty Images, This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google. A graceful sprinter with long strides, she dominated Asian track-and-field events for most of the 1980s, winning 23 medals in all, 14 of which were gold. Of all his nicknames, he has to be thanking the snow gods that "Big Wendy" didn't catch on. Larry Jordan was actually the better basketball player when the pair were youngsters and MJ only picked up the sport in order to play with his older brother. 25. NBA Nicknames Funny NBA Nicknames For NBA . It was the former quality that led to his nickname, and it was very well-deserved, as Payton is the only point guard in NBA history, and one of only four guards, period, to win Defensive Player of the Year. His acrobatic dunking style and multiple selections to the NBA Slam Dunk Contest earned him his awesome nickname. The Wu-Tang Clan references are as classy as nicknames come. It didnt take long for me to change back to 23. While many athletes have earned one heart-warming nickname, only a lucky few have inherited a countless amount, and the resulting opportunity to rotate on demand. Iconic NBA players with number 23 jerseys include Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and Anthony Davis, all Hall of Fame-level players whose career highlights are among the greatest moments in basketball history. There are few jersey numbers that resonate quite like #23, and though the number is synonymous with Michael Jordan, he isn't the only one who wore it. winslow accident today; taches brunes sur feuilles de caoutchouc; . Just in his time at New Orleans with 23 on his back, Davis earned six All-Star selections, led the league in blocks three times, won an All-Star MVP, and averaged 24 points and 10 rebounds. His series of moves used to make opposing players look silly was referred to as the "Dream Shake,"not to be confused with the Harlem Shake which is the stupidest internet fad of all time. Wider culture has been too, and there is even a group of people called 23rdians who uncover all the times it crops up in history. A scrappy spark plug on the Phillies' championship club of 2008, speedster Shane Victorino was last seen patrolling the Los Angeles outfields at Dodger Stadium, a shell of his former self. Babe Ruth. Willie "Hit 'em Where . A three-time NBA champion, Green is also a three-time All-Star, two-time All-NBA, and five-time All-Defensive player. Just look at that face, the one on top of the guy standing 6-foot-10, as he hurls a baseball at you at speeds reaching 100 miles per hour. But its not just the ancient Chinese that were obsessed with 23. Gretzky's nickname is self-explanatory, and his numbers, even playing in the run-and-gun 1980s, are still eye-popping and completely unreachable by any player, unless Sidney Crosby plays at a high level until he's around 50 years old. In a league known for flashy dunks, snappy dressing and colorful personalities, Duncan's favorite shot was the bank shot, he dressed like a teenager heading to school and was as soft-spoken as they come. Stabler was a villain for any football fan who disliked the Raiders, and there were plenty of those outside of Oakland. What is the coolest nickname for any athlete in any sport? Be the first one to comment on this story. Wilkins might have actually exceeded Jordan's capacity in those areas, and his nickname is a reference to the fact that fans in attendance or watching on television could always count on Wilkins to reel off several spectacular plays game in and game out. He's Magic, plain and simple. While the word marvelous is flowery and makes one think of a real artist in the ring, Hagler had one of the greatest chins in boxing history and was a relentless pressure fighter without a weakness. Cream of the Crop:Crouchinho, El Esparagus, Two Metre Peter, RoboCrouch, Bean Pole. Two-time Olympic gold medalist Shaun White is a rare breed of soaring tomato, whether he's tired of the name or not. NBA Trade Rumors: 5 Teams that should target LaMarcus Aldridge. He was part of the Brazilian national teams that won three World Cup championships (1958, 1962, and 1970). Sometimes, the nickname makes the man. His black No. Of course not. Kemp, the driving force (along with Gary Payton) behind the SuperSonics' run as a power in the Western Conference, was given his nickname by Seattle broadcaster Kevin Calabro, who saw the name on a poster and decided to bestow it on Kemp. Of his worst nicknames, though, we choose "The Big Aristotle.". One of the most physically imposing players throughout his career, Malone was also one of the most consistent. The list goes on, as does Victorino, once dubbed The Energizer Bunny. Advertisement. So when I started playing basketball, I was like: Oh man, that two-three looks good. For many fans, James has done the unthinkable and supplanted Michael Jordan as the greatest basketball player of all time. 2. https://goo.gl/tX6CcK-~-~~-~~. Always free! While he may be widely known today for his HIV/AIDS diagnosis and activism, he is also one of the most decorated point guards in the history of the game. Jim Carrey even starred in a 2007 movie called The Number 23 in which a troubled man becomes obsessed with a book, fittingly entitled The Number 23: A Novel of Obsession. He is a "champion" in every sense of the word. The man many people consider the greatest player of all time doesn't necessarily have a nickname that measures up to his feats on the court. Rampage is a skilled striker and his nickname reflects his prowess. Nathaniel S. Butler/Getty Images. One of the best open-court finishers and overall athletes in the NBA, Marion would routinely make incredible plays that seemed to defy physics. SportsIcon CEO and Co-Founder Chris Worsey previously built a number of EdTech startups including Coursematch, one of the first movers in the trend of edtech companies aimed at democratising . "The Rocket" led the Montreal Canadiens to multiple Stanley Cup Championshipsthroughout his career. Known for "The War" with Marvin Hagler, a three-round epic that saw both fighters trade punches continuously, Hearns also had a pair of classic, and controversial, fights with "Sugar" Ray Leonard. Maurice "The Rocket" Richard is a legend in the city of Montreal. Throughout his career, Liddell was known for keeping a cool head at all times, whether he was preparing for a fight or in the ring competing. Reggie Jackson, "Mr. October". Michael Jordan will be turning 55 on February 17, and although his career as a basketball player ended many years ago, his legacy lives on. "The Man" could also have referred to Musial's reputation as one of the most gentlemanly, modest and sportsmanlike athletes of his time. 19. but it wasn't until he joined Real Madrid in 2003 that he wrote his name into the legend of another - 23. His self-assigned nickname has become a fan favorite, as Lynch is one of the most difficult NFL players to tackle and can also run faster than most of those trying to bring him down. His first name begins with the letter "O," and as a 6-foot-5 guard, he was uncommonly tall and physical for his era, dominating smaller players through a combination of size and skill. Start your Foxtel Now 10-day free trial. Carmelo Anthony, Alex Morgan, Dennis Rodman, Tiki Barber, and Ronde Barber, George Foreman, Terrell Owens, and Metta World Peace have all, for better or worse, written . In reference to his on-court pizazz and tendency to reinvent the crossover, Earl "The Pearl" Monroe earned quite the array of endearing monikers. A personal favorite here, as this nickname succinctly describes Johnson's game he was a key bench player for the Pistons, one who could get hot in a hurry when he entered a contest and rolls off the tongue nicely. If your team had Robert Horry, you felt great in close games. He could float, sting, shuffle. 23 in NBA history, and he really made the number the important figure it is on basketball fans' minds. After taking the name, the man born Arnold Cream in Pennsauken, New Jersey, simply added "Jersey" to his name to distinguish himself. Nicknames go with athletes like beer and chicken wings go with Sunday afternoon football. 23 is Boy 2 23 is Girl . . "Darth" is obviously a Star Wars reference, to one of the greatest sci-fi/action villains of all time. Larry Bird is counted among the legendary athletes, hence why he got the infamous name of Larry Legend. Cream of the Crop: Lionheart, Tarzan, Superman. 23 for the Warriors during his tenure in the Run TMC era with Tim Hardaway and Chris Mullin, and with the LA Lakers in his final NBA season (2001-02) when he was a member of the title-winning squad. Pierce was one of the best pure scorers in the league over the course of his career. That's the story of an iconic nickname and one belonging to the man almost unanimously seen as the greatest pound-for-pound boxer of all time. To many, "The Greatest" defined greatness in every facet of life. A huge number of fans would like to nickname as per the nickname of the star. Otherwise, you probably find it fitting, given Bryant's tendency to strike quickly and spectacularly, often leaving opposing teams and fans feeling plenty of pain.