Best Basketball Nicknames For Every Kind of Player
Basketball, perhaps unlike any other sport, is filled with given and appointed nicknames. Whether describing a players physical attributes, their area of expertise on the court, or their knack for certain shots on the court, basketball and player nicknames go hand-in-hand.
And while, for some, appointing a player with a nickname comes easily, for many of us, doing so is not only challenging but extremely difficult. That’s why, below, we are going to review the absolute best basketball nicknames for every kind of player.
Whether you’re a proficient three-point shooter, a prolific dunker, a master rebounder, or a close-out defender, one of these nicknames will fit perfectly with your style of play and level of expertise.
How to Come Up With a Nickname for a Basketball Player
While this list will help you get started, and narrow down, your potential list of nicknames for a basketball player, sometimes you may want a nickname which is a bit more personalized to the individual player. Below, we will help guide you to choosing a perfect nickname based on an individual players style of play and physical attributes.
- Style of Play Based – one of the most popular forms of nicknames for basketball players is based on their style of play. Perhaps no-one is more famous for this nickname then Kobe Bryant himself, who referred to himself as the Black Mamba. Quiet and deadly, the black mamba was ferocious and would attack its prey without them being any the wiser.
- Physical Attributes Based – another popular nickname for basketball players tends to stem from a physical attribute of theirs. Whether they have an afro-styled haircut, a long beard, or a shaved head, there are endless possibilities for nicknames based on physical attributes. However, it’s important that the nickname is one that elevates the player and not one that demeans or puts them down, so don’t poke fun at another player based on a physical attribute.
- Height Based – particularly when it comes to taller players, basketball players love to give nicknames to players who stand head-and-shoulders above the rest of the crowd. From “Empire State” to “The Twin Towers” for two tall players, height and nicknames tend to go hand-in-hand.
- Jersey Number Based – another option is to come up with a nickname for a player based on their jersey number. For instance, a player wearing the number 99 could be called “problems”, as an ode to the famous JAY-Z song. Similarly, a player wearing a number 12 jersey could be called “dice”, in reference to the highest total number two-dice can make.
- Play on Name Based – and similarly, if a player has a unique name or one that rhymes well with another word, you can come up with some clever names based on their name. An example could be like Tracy McGrady, who has long been known around the NBA as simply T-Mac.
- Expectations Based – lastly, and perhaps the most difficult nickname to provide, is to a player who has many expectations on them. From Allen Iverson being “The Answer” to Joel Embiid being “The Process”, these nicknames tend to stem from a players expectations of themselves and from their team.
List of Basketball Player Nicknames
In no particular order, you can find the full list of basketball player nicknames below. These nicknames are great for three-point shooters, prolific dunkers, powerful defenders, and heavy rebounders. And no matter the kind of player you are, or the kind of players you play with, we’re sure that one of these nicknames is sure to fit perfectly.
- The Answer
- The Process
- The Situation
- The Assassin
- The Deadly Killer
- The Killer
- Mac-and-Threes
- Splash Bros.
- Splash Sisters
- Deep Threat
- Triple Threat
- Air
- Like Mike
- His Airness
- His Likeness
- The Attitude
- The Beard
- Fro
- The Greek Freak
- Freak of Nature
- Mr. Too Tall
- 36 Mafia
- Mr. Basketball
- Ms. Basketball
- The Postman
- Two-Faced
- Dropping Dimes
- Mr. Double-Double
- Rainman
- The Great Wall
- Brick Breaker
- Twin Towers
- Eiffel Tower
- Burj Khalifa
- Empire State
- Empire State of Mind
- Mr. New York
- Brooklyn Ball
- ATL
- Big Nasty
- Mad Dog
- The General
- Captain
- Beetle
- Bad News
- Birdman
- Superman
- Batman
- Thor
- Hulk
- Captain America
- Marvel
- Max
- Thriller
- Plus
- Buckets
- Flash
- Super Human
- Super Strength
- Mr. Grip
- (First Name) Time
- The Banker
- Laser
- Laser Focused
- Focus
- Deep Thought
- Trance
- Downtown
- End-to-End
- The Claw
- Sleeper
- Sleepy Hollow
- Cornrow
- Rows
- Raw
- Jelly
- PB&J
- Big Ticket
- Silk
- Big Mac
- Whopper
- Rookie
- Rook
- Spook
- The Worm
- The Dealer
- Hand
- Rims
- 13 Reasons
- Jay
- Dubs
- W
- W Nation
- Melatonin
- Crisp
- Smooth and Silky
- Silky
- Red
- Magic
- Stache
- Roll
- P&R
- Flavor
- Boards
- Chief
- The Dream
- Skywalker
- Vader
- Darth Vader
- Darth Maul
- Mr. NBA
- Ms. WNBA
- Mr. NCAA
- Balls and Boards
- Sweet 16
- Dirty 30
- Pistol
- The King
- Mr. Clutch
- Ms. Clutch
- Rebound Machine
- Round Mound
- Game Time
- The Controller
- The Matrix
- Zen
- Headspace
- City of Angels
- Slim Reaper
- Dr. J
- Iceman
- The Grim Reaper
- Ice
- Ice Cold
- Frosty
- Snowman
- The Bringer
- Dribbler
- Cold Blooded
- Goku
- Ms. Marvel
- Marvelous
- Amazin’
- Box of Chocolates
- Storied
- Drizzler
- Kibbles
- The Notetaker
- Waterfall
- Grand Canyon
- Route 1
- Iso
- Tropic Thunder
- The Lion
- Mr. Air
- Ice Cream Float
- Church
- Mr. Clever
- The Boy From (Insert City)
- Lucifer
- Satan
- Gabriel